Montserrat: Information on the existence of a secret police force
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 November 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | MSR18884.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Montserrat: Information on the existence of a secret police force, 1 November 1994, MSR18884.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab2ea7.html [accessed 20 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Please find attached a copy of the most complete description of the Montserrat police forces currently available to the DIRB. The document states that there is a force of approximately 150 in the British dependent territory, with three territorial divisions "and a number of operational ones, including the CID [meaning not given] and the Marine Division" (Kurian 1989, 521). Additional and/or corroborating information could not be found among the sources currently available to the DIRB.
Also attached, please find some articles that refer to an investigation of offshore banks in Montserrat. The reports indicate that agents from Scotland Yard and United States Federal Bureau of Investigation participated in the investigation. For additional details, please consult the attached news articles.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Kurian, George Thomas. 1989. World Encyclopedia of Police Forces and Penal Systems. New York: Facts on File.
Attachments
Kurian, George Thomas. 1989. World Encyclopedia of Police Forces and Penal Systems. New York: Facts on File, p. 521.
CANA [Bridgetown, in English]. 10 November 1989. Peter Richards. "Intent to 'Reconolize' Island Denied." (FBIS-LAT-89-218 14 Nov. 1989, pp. 7-8)
. 9 November 1989. Joe Dominique. "Constitutional Change Sought by Britain." (FBIS-LAT-89-218 14 Nov. 1989, p. 8)
. 28 August 1989. "Legislature Member Brandt Resigns From Party." (FBIS-LAT-89-167 30 Aug. 1989, p. 14)
. 24 May 1989. "Chief Minister Defends Banking Reputation." (FBIS-LAT-89-100 25 May 1989, p. 9)
World Radio [Bonaire, in English]. 23 March 1989. Richard Simon. "Government Suspends Licenses for Offshore Banks." (FBIS-LAT-89-056 24 Mar. 1989, p. 11)
Additional Sources Consulted
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Yearly.
Critique: Review of the Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Yearly.
Human Rights Watch World Report. Yearly.
News From Americas Watch. Monthly.
Encyclopedia of the Third World. 1992.
Amnesty International Report. Yearly.
Latin America Press. Weekly.
Latin American Regional Reports: Central America & the Caribbean. Monthly.
Material from the Indexed Media Review (IMR) or country files containing articles and reports from diverse sources (primarily dailies and periodicals) from the Weekly Media Review.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Reports. Daily.
Newspapers and periodicals pertaining to the appropriate region.
On-line searches of news articles.
