Faraway, Not Forgotten: Reaching Remote Communities in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago – Families wait breathlessly for much-needed aid distributions, in the soaring heat of Trinidad and Tobago’s southwest tip. Maria*, a 31-year-old mother, sits quietly with her four children. Having arrived on the island with little more than dreams of a better future, she is determined to carve out a new life for her family.

In 2019, Maria and her husband made the heartbreaking decision to leave their small Indigenous Warao community in Tucupita, nestled in the Orinoco River Delta, in Eastern Venezuela, where food and medicine were increasingly scarce. She vividly recalls the harrowing journey aboard a crowded boat, guided by smugglers through the perilous Caribbean waters, finally reaching Icacos – a tiny Trinidadian community just seven miles from her homeland. “We did it for them so they can have a better life,” she says, softly cradling her one-year-old child in her arms.

Formerly an administrative assistant, Maria is now hoping to find a job as a housekeeper, imagining a daily wage that could far exceed what she could earn in a week at home. Leaving her mother behind, she has promised to send her financial support. However, life in Trinidad has proved challenging: with two new children added to the family, language barriers and discrimination against indigenous people compounding their struggles. Her husband works sporadically as a fisherman, earning barely enough to keep food on the table.

Now, living in a makeshift hut alongside seven other Venezuelan families, crafted from recycled wood, scrap metal and mud, Maria feels the weight of her circumstances. “At least a day’s work allows us to eat and even send money back home,” she explains, her voice tinged with sadness as she reflects on her children’s unfulfilled educational needs.

A lifeline to stability

Over 36,000 Venezuelans have migrated to the dual-island republic of Trinidad and Tobago in recent years, including many vulnerable Warao indigenous families, such as Maria’s. Many travel by sea using irregular routes, pursuing better opportunities. They arrive with pressing needs for food, shelter, and health care and are often at risk of exploitation, abuse, violence, and discrimination.

To address these challenges, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is on the front lines, providing much-needed support to vulnerable migrants and their host communities so they can buy supplies at selected vendors. “Multipurpose cash assistance allows eligible migrants and host community members to meet their basic needs, whether that be food, hygiene or personal items. The purpose is to restore autonomy and dignity, while also supporting local markets,” says Tinestia Haynes, IOM’s Case Coordinator in Trinidad and Tobago.

Receiving this critical assistance has relieved Maria of some of their burdens during these difficult times. “It helps cover our basic necessities,” she says tearfully as her children play nearby. IOM has helped around 2,000 Venezuelan and members of the host community in 2024. IOM also provides skills training, mental health support and vital information to access documentation and regularization processes, all of which are essential resources for many migrants seeking stability.

Perilous journeys

IOM’s Missing Migrants Project (MMP) documented a staggering toll: at least 341 migrants lost their life or went missing in the Caribbean in 2024, marking the highest number since the project inception in 2014.

Approximately 36,000 Venezuelans currently reside in Trinidad and Tobago, part of the 7.9 million who have left their home country. This small island nation has one of the highest ratios of displaced Venezuelans, with migrants making up 10 per cent of the local population, compared to 7 per cent in Colombia and 5 per cent in Peru. Many risk a perilous sea crossing to reach its shores.

The life of Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad and Tobago is fraught with challenges. Cultural and linguistic barriers, coupled with a lack of a formal pathway for securing work and residence permits, leave many living in constant fear of deportation.

Pedro*, a 49-year-old former driver symbolizes this struggle. He left Venezuela in 2020 with nothing but hope, arriving by boat in Icacos with his wife and son. Despite his aspirations for a better life, he now works sporadically in fishing and construction, earning a meagre USD 10 a day when he can find work. "What was my biggest dream?" he says. "To see my son having a bright future.”

Tragedy struck when Pedro’s wife passed away in Icacos, yet he remains resolute in his pursuit of a better life for his family. “We came seeking opportunities, ready to contribute with our labour and become integral members of this society.”

Like Maria* and Pedro*, Venezuelans living abroad maintain an unbreakable bond with their homeland. They stay connected to loved ones left behind, closely monitoring news from Venezuela. Their greatest hope is to return one day and reunite with family. "I dream of going back to our ancestral country,” Pedro says, wistfully gazing out at the distant shores of his homeland from Icacos Beach. “Though our lives are better here, our hearts are always back in Venezuela.”

*Names have been changed for protection reasons.

This story was written by Gema Cortes, IOM Media and Communications Unit, Office of the Special Envoy for the Regional Response to the Venezuela Situation.