ABSTRACT

This chapter demonstrates that contemporary migration between (The Bolivarian Republic of) Venezuela and (The Republic of) Trinidad and Tobago are the most recent iteration of an established pattern of bi-directional flows between the two states. These flows, which date to the pre-Columbian era, are heavily influenced by (historical) commercial, cultural, and geo-political ties. They have been constituted by both documented and undocumented, long-term and short-term movements, and to a large extent have been dominated by labour mobility in both the formal and informal sectors, in particular, energy, agriculture, and care work. The geo-strategic positioning of Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela has meant that they have both (at times synergistically) played a significant role in intra-regional mobility within the Caribbean. Since 2013, the multi-dimensional crisis in Venezuela has occasioned a shift to a primarily unidirectional pattern of movement from Venezuela into Trinidad, with an increasing number of vulnerable migrants, including persons claiming asylum. This current pattern underscores the salience of this migration corridor for the Caribbean region.