As Trinidad and Tobago advances its ambitious 2026 Migrant Registration Framework (MRF), the country’s government has implemented a rigorous, internationally supported vetting process to screen thousands of undocumented migrants seeking legal status, marking a sharp break from flawed past registration efforts. Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander detailed in an exclusive interview with local outlet the Express on Tuesday that the U.S. Interpol bureau is currently partnering with local authorities to conduct enhanced security screenings for more than 24,000 migrants who have completed the MRF’s in-person registration process. This collaboration comes as the current Kamla Persad-Bissessar administration intensifies background checks ahead of the planned rollout of official migrant registration cards, which Alexander projects will begin as early as next month.
Alexander emphasized that the current vetting protocol is far more exhaustive than the registration exercise carried out by the previous People’s National Movement (PNM) administration, which he criticized for lacking meaningful checks and balances. “Last occasion it was a runaway train, on this occasion, we are making sure to check every detail,” Alexander told the Express. Unlike the incomplete process of the past, the new framework incorporates fingerprint collection by local police service and cross-border background checks facilitated by Interpol, ensuring every applicant is fully vetted before receiving approval to legally reside and work in the twin-island nation. “This process was a tedious one. It was not one that was done with blindfolds on,” he added.
International security partners are contributing far more than just basic record checks: they are assisting local law enforcement in tracing criminal histories across applicants’ countries of origin and any other nations they have previously resided in or visited, with investigations extending beyond past travel to probe any illicit activities applicants may have participated in globally. To date, the enhanced screening has already uncovered multiple cases of applicants submitting false names and other falsified personal information, as well as identifying candidates with active criminal charges or prior conviction records. Alexander confirmed that these individuals will face appropriate administrative or legal action, stressing that the government will no longer admit migrants who would exacerbate existing public safety challenges. “We are not prepared to accommodate persons in this country any more who intend to be part of the problem that we are already in,” he said.
Beyond migrant vetting, Alexander noted that international partners have been critical to Trinidad and Tobago’s broader law enforcement efforts, providing critical intelligence, surveillance capabilities, technical training, and on-the-ground support to counter the illicit flows of drugs, unregistered firearms, and human trafficking across the country’s borders. He blamed the previous PNM administration for failing to secure national borders, invest in border security personnel, or build critical international security partnerships, leaving the country vulnerable to a large influx of unauthorized migration. Since taking office, the current administration has made cracking down on illegal migration a top policy priority, and has seen growing cooperation from global security partners as a result. “Our international partners have been very co-operative with us. And they are teaching us a lot of things that we did not have the technology to detect before. We continue to build that partnership and we can only see it getting better in the future,” Alexander said.
The 2026 MRF represents a major expansion of Trinidad and Tobago’s approach to undocumented migration. Unlike the 2019 registration exercise, which limited eligibility to Venezuelan migrants, the new framework opens registration to qualified undocumented migrants of all nationalities. The first phase of the 2026 process, which ran from January 26 to February 25, consisted of online application submission, preliminary reviews, and in-person appointment scheduling. By the close of the first phase, the Ministry of Homeland Security had received 29,276 applications from migrants representing more than 60 different countries of origin.
The second, mandatory phase of the process requires all applicants to complete in-person verification and processing at one of five designated regional stadium centers: Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima, Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, and Dwight Yorke Stadium in Tobago. In-person interviews launched on March 2, and as part of the processing workflow, all applicants undergo fingerprint collection and initial security checks through the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, while adult applicants are required to pay a TT$700 registration fee. Public health officials have also participated in the process to conduct required health screenings for all applicants.
The update comes amid criticism from some Venezuelan migrant communities and local migrant advocacy groups, which told the Express they have waited more than six months for an official status update on the MRF process from Alexander’s ministry, with no new information released to date.