By 4.20 pm on Friday, at Havelock Street in St Clair, the place where thousands of Venezuelan migrants formerly gathered over the last two weeks in hope to be registered, affording them a legal working status for one year in T&T, looked like the end of a Carnival Tuesday night, minus the litter.
At 4.25 pm, the last 15 migrants were making their way inside the Queen's Park Oval to be registered, women and children taking the lead.
Just opposite the entry point, migrants seen sitting calmly, lining the sidewalk, some with babies and toddlers, told us they had already registered and were waiting patiently on their spouses and family who were still 'inside' going through the registration process.
Good Samaritans were seen dropping food and water off for migrants as they waited. There was not a general sense of fear or despair, rather The Sunday Guardian witnessed smiles and an impression of relief.
An official from the Ministry of National Security present at the last day of registration at the Queen's Park Oval venue, which saw just over 1,500 people, said he was surprised at the relatively low turnout by Venezuelan migrants on the closing day. He said he believes it may have had to do with Thursday night's protest by a local social pressure group, lobbying for the borders of T&T to be closed in an effort to curb the influx of more Venezuelans to T&T.
The Sunday Guardian spoke with a Venezuelan national, Eleazar Carrizalez, who told us he had been visiting the island frequently and legally over the years via a church to which he is affiliated, said he decided to participate in the Government's amnesty for the opportunity to work, after a friend told him about it.
An instrumentalist in the oil and gas industry back home, Carrizalez said he had a rather comfortable life until it became forcibly hard with the economic and political instability in Venezuela. In recent times the father of three, made ends meet with the assistance of his eldest daughter, a chemical engineer who lives and works in Chile. He said with the opportunity now to work in T&T, he would be sending money back to his two daughters who did not make the journey to T&T with him.
Asked what were his thoughts on the fear of locals believing Venezuelans would "take their jobs", Carrizalez pointing to a flyer advertising a business, said "Businesses are coming to us and offering us jobs, we are taking anything from anyone. They are finding us. Look, they came and handed this out today."
We also observed a sign on a building opposite the oval, which read, "Tenico de Peluqueria y unas certificado para trabajar en el spa." Essentially it is asking for a certified nail technician and a hairdresser to work at its spa.
Carrizalez said most likely at the end of the one-year period, he would return to Venezuela.
Twenty-three-year-old Maria Rojas, who has three daughters, told us that back home her children were starving as there is no food. She told us she was elated when she learned of the T&T Government's amnesty as this provided her with the opportunity to work and feed her children.
Asked how would they attend school since the Government has repeatedly reiterated the amnesty does not make provision for the educating of migrant children, Rojas said now that she is able to work, she would have the means to send her children to school.