US Embassy in Barbados warns against illegal immigration after T&T loses UK visa-free access

Barbados: The United States Embassy in Barbados has issued a strong warning to locals regarding illegal immigration just two weeks after Trinidad and Tobago lost its visa free access to the United Kingdom.  

Through an official press release, the Embassy emphasised tougher penalties for visa fraud, overstaying as well as unauthorised entry under the headline ‘Don’t Risk Your Future: The United States Cracks Down on Illegal Immigration’.  

This comes after the United Kingdom suspended visa-free access for nationals of Trinidad and Tobago on March 12 citing ‘major increase in nationals arriving from the country as visitors and then claiming asylum’ as the reason. The sudden suspension has raised fear among officials about potential repercussions.  

While warning the locals in Barbados, the US Embassy said that with increased border security in major countries like USA, President Donald Trump’s administration is enforcing more arrests, deportations as well as lifetime visa bans for violators.  

The press release stated that in order to make America safe and prosperous, President Trump is ensuring that US immigration laws are followed and if anyone attempts to enter the US illegally, lie or withhold information in order to get a visa, work without legal permission or reside in the US after a visa expires, they could face serious penalties including deportation, jail time as well as a permanent ban on obtaining a US visa in future. 

The Embassy further urged the ones involved in any of such circumstances to come home now. It further said that the journey to the US Border is very dangerous and when any individual attempts to cross it illegally, they are putting their own lives at risk.  

It further emphasised that criminal groups including cartels and human traffickers target illegal migrants, subjecting them to extortion, violence and assault and several of them who try the journey never make it to their destination.  

Notably, the Trump administration strengthened border security and increased the number of illegal aliens being arrested as well as deported. This led to illegal border crossings dropping by a whopping 94 percent in February 2025 when compared to February 2024, while the number of arrests of illegal border crossers inside the US increased by 627%. 

This shows that the Trump administration has made it next to impossible to enter the USA illegally, pushing the US Embassy in Barbados to issue this warning.