Trinidad and Tobago: Information on whether members of the Seventh Day Adventists suffer any form of discrimination; whether Adventists have been subject to acts of violence or threats in the San Juan area, and if so, on whether they would be able to obtain police protection and whether they would be able to relocate within Trinidad and Tobago to avoid such violence
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | TTO23494.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Trinidad and Tobago: Information on whether members of the Seventh Day Adventists suffer any form of discrimination; whether Adventists have been subject to acts of violence or threats in the San Juan area, and if so, on whether they would be able to obtain police protection and whether they would be able to relocate within Trinidad and Tobago to avoid such violence, 1 May 1996, TTO23494.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab8d40.html [accessed 3 June 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. |
The following information was provided by the president of the Caribbean Conference of Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) in Port-of-Spain, the highest administrative body of the church in Trinidad and Tobago, in a 1 May 1996 telephone interview.
The source stated that the SDA church in Trinidad and Tobago is not subject to official discrimination, but rather has the official recognition of the government and enjoys legislative protection for the freedom to practice their religion. The government guarantees Adventists employed in the civil service the right to not work on Saturdays, which is a major tenet of the SDA faith. There are some difficulties with persons employed in the private sector being allowed to enjoy this religious freedom, as they must negotiate this with their individual employers. The government also has given the SDA community, which is comprised of approximately 50,000 members in Trinidad and Tobago, the privilege of running their own hospital, schools, and university on the islands with minimal state interference.
The source had not heard about, nor been informed of, any reports of religiously-motivated violence being directed against members of the six SDA congregations in the San Juan region. The source noted that if any religiously-motivated violence against SDA members had occurred in the San Juan area, he would have been informed about the situation.
The source stated that the SDA church receives the full cooperation of the government and police authorities, and has not had problems in this respect in the past. The source speculated that if a member of the church was experiencing difficulties in a particular community, that individual could relocate to another parish within Trinidad and Tobago. There are parishes throughout the islands.
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. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Reference
The Caribbean Conference of Seventh Day Adventist (SDA), Port-of-Spain. 1 May 1996. Telephone interview with the president.
Additional Sources Consulted
DIRB Amnesty International "Trinidad and Tobago" File. 1993-1996
_____. Country File. "Trinidad and Tobago". Weekly. 1992-1996.
Foreign Broadcast Information Services (FBIS) Reports. Daily. 1991-1995
On-line search of media sources.
Oral Sources
