Archbishop Jason Gordon has called on the government to secure the country's borders to slow the influx of Venezuelan migrants into T&T.

This, as he says the numberof migrants turning up at the Living Water Community for assistance continues to increase dramatically.

The Archbishop made the comments on Friday during a media conference at Archbishop's House in St Clair.

He said the Catholic church is providing aid to refugees and migrants but if more continue to come it will put T&T in a difficult position.

Gordon said some 1100 new people are coming in for assistance each month and the church can only do so much.

Twenty parishes are doing incredible work but they are saying they cant keep up," Gordon noted.

"The numbers are escalating every single week.

He said this acceleration is "unprecedented".

Gordon added that much of the assistance provided to migrants has been funded through the generosity of the public and the business community. He said some international agencies have provided funding as well but it is not enough to deal with the number of Venezuelan migrants requiring food, shelter and other necessities.

We really are trying to work with resources that dont exist, he lamented.

He said the government has a responsibility to secure the nation's borders because the greater good of the country will be destroyed once a certain number of Venezuelans come in.

"I don't know what the number is but if we accepted a million Venezuelans, we will no longer be the country that we are."

However, Gordon said the Catholic church will continue to do what it can to help the migrants who arrive in T&T.

"Everybody who comes we have to find a way to welcome, protect, integrate and ensure they get what they need. We have to ensure that whoever comes is going to be treated like a human being with incredible dignity and given what they need to have a good life.

He said the migrant crisis cannot be ignored as some may feel they have no other choice but to turn to crime to survive.

As such, the Catholic church will continue to provide schooling for migrant children, he said.

Originally posted here:

Church can't keep up with rising refugee numbers, Archbishop says - Loop News Trinidad and Tobago