Event Summary
On June 6, 2025, UNHCR announced that its national office in Trinidad and Tobago will permanently close by August 31, 2025, with public-facing services ending July 25, due to global funding shortfalls. This office has played a critical role in refugee protection and coordination, especially for Venezuelan asylum seekers, who make up 87% of the 22,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers in the country. UNHCR’s presence has been the only mechanism for registration, Refugee Status Determination (RSD), documentation, and case management, operating in the absence of a national asylum framework. The closure means a withdrawal of funding, field coordination, and legal intervention, putting both local civil society organizations (CSOs) and refugees in a precarious situation.
The closure of UNHCR’s office in Trinidad and Tobago has significantly weakened the enabling environment for civil society, especially in the areas of sustainable resources and legal protection. While some organizations like the Caribbean Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) remain operational, others such as FPATT (Family Planning Association) have already lost UNHCR funding, affecting their ability to deliver services to refugees.Local NGOs like the Caribbean Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) and La Casita Hispanic Cultural Centre have voiced concern about the protection gap left by UNHCR’s departure and stressed the need for urgent state coordination. UNHCR has stated that remote support will continue from its Panama office, with two outposted staff remaining locally.
At a June 5 cabinet briefing, Defence Minister Wayne Sturge said the government is considering a new migrant policy. La Casita’s director, Andreina Briceno Ventura-Brown, called the closure a “severe blow” that leaves major gaps in protection and psychosocial care, and urged the creation of a national registration and protection system.