Jacques Phanor slept with his windows to open.
Until a few years ago, the Turks and Kaikos Islands were mostly known as a luxurious place for the Caribbean.
The stunning beauty of the archipelago has regularly earned it the titles of the “Best Beach in the World” and directed it to the world’s richest travelers’ Globe buckets.
However, the alarming level of violent crimes shocked the once sleeping British foreign territory, earning her praise she greeting.
Last year, it recorded 48 murders, which, given its population, was less than 50,000, according to one investigation in Latin America and the Caribbean Sea was the worst murder percentage per capita.
This year, the area was already recorded by 24 massacres by mid -August, reinforced by the first mass shooting through its history, which caused four died and nine injured.
“People are very scared,” Jacques, a pastor of the church living on the main island of Providences, tells the BBC. “Some even leave. We all love the islands, the economy is good, but the crime environment is terrible.”
2024. With a record number of holidaymakers-two million-in the Turks and Kaikos, it seems that the crime does not yet affect tourism.
However, there is a fear that if the efforts to shorten it successfully, crime could be a threat to its main situation, which would calculate at least two -thirds of the economy.
Some, including the most important island Washington Misick, quickly blamed the migrants from Haiti, who is just 90 miles south. They flee to the unpleasant and Kaikos to avoid the gang -led turmoil and home violence.
“The situation of the crime is worse in the communities of Haiti [on Turks and Caicos]“Jacques, born in Haiti, moved to Turks and Kaikos, where he acquired citizenship 28 years ago.
He says most of this year’s killed this year is the nationality of Haiti.
Jacques and his young family themselves became victims of armed robbery in December last year. “We were kept at a gun point a guy who illegally entered the country in the boat. I’m just one example,” he adds.
[BBC]
The Premier Misick, named after a mixture of July shooting at the local gangland -like murder, appealed to the leaders of the Haiti community to help “protect these islands safe”.
“You know what these brutal criminals are, you know how weapons fall aside,” he blamed.
The statement of the Haitian Heritage Association requested a “disposable front” that arose from the scourge – and regretted that “hate stories” were published by some members of Turkish and Caicos society.
Some believe that complex territory citizenship laws have accidentally created the Disenfranchized Haitian young people. Children born in Turks and Kaika try to acquire legal status if none of the parents have it.
In the struggle of the Government to fight Haiti migrants, illegally entering the country, a boat seizure, the efforts of deportation were strengthened.
“They choose [Haitian] People in every corner, every street, on the road, workplaces, says Jacques. – Most parents want children to stay here instead of going to Haiti [with them]Where is it chaos. So they stay with friends, family, church members. ”
“Many children get through cracks,” Jacques adds. “They are 18 and try to get a work permit as if they were foreigners. Often they are rejected even to those.”
He believes that the closeness of the country in Haiti is “blessing and curse”. “They need migrant staff to keep up with development, but Haitian’s violence spills into the Turks and Caikos.”
Recently, the efforts of the fight against crime include the temporary hour of the Commandant, more stricter control in institutions selling alcohol, and increased search power to the police.
Meanwhile, coping with unofficial settlements that police say the port criminals saw more than 220 Shanty Homes in August.
Tourism provides most of the Turkish and Caica revenue, which earns $ 250 million in the first half of the 2024-2025 financial year. USD (£ 186 million).
However, although the country has noticed rapid development in the last two decades, not everyone has taken advantage of their advantages, says local reporter Wilkie Arthur.
“Many people don’t even want to be in gangs, they just can’t find a job. We have to give them more opportunities that they won’t have to rob something for a couple of dollars,” he says.
“Many gang members have a legal status here. There are also a number of local boys.
Wilkie knows too well the situation of young men on the outskirts of society. The former convicted person had previously served for 11 years behind bars to rob an armed jewelry store. Since it has been released in 2023, he is now trying to direct others from crime.
He agrees that too many young people of Haiti come to legally when they finish school. “They do not have the right documents, so the gangs recruit them, nourish them to become loyal to them, and then the gangs are simply getting bigger.
“Many children do not have the right documents every year of study. Some are very bright and take their education seriously, but what do they do if they want to eat and survive?”
The visual attractiveness of the Turkish and Caicos is obvious to holidaymakers [Getty Images]
Turks and Caikos have been experiencing more than just gang violence in recent years. 2024. The United Nations report talked about the “intensification of organized crime and… fatal violence” throughout the Caribbean.
He said the growing drug production in South America, which often passes through the Caribbean Sea on the way to the United States and Europe, and the high availability of firearms “contributed to increasing murder courses”. He called Jamaica, St. Lusia and Trinidad as specific areas of concern.
However, the report added that “only a handful of hundreds of gangs” in the Caribbean Sea actively participated in drugs and weapons in the US and elsewhere.
Instead, it is said that “most Caribbean gangs” were “usually parish and focused on the protection of their territory”. She added that gangs were more likely to participate in local drug trading, prostitution, fraud, extortion, disturbing elections and ensuring government agreements.
Wilkie Arthur helped 11 years in prison and now trying to direct others from the crime [Wilkie Arthur]
How much responsibility in the UK is for the Turks and Kaikos is a topic of discussion.
Premier Misick recently wrote to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy to express the “severity” of the situation. He recalled that the UK was the greatest responsibility for the defense and internal security of the area and invited Lammy to visit and see the challenges.
A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry says that British ministers have been in close contact with the island’s authorities, adding: “Together we invest in police setting and border security to deal with difficult national security threats and protect the interests of the Turks and Caikos Islands.”
The UK says she has provided $ 9 million in the last two years.
Turks and Caika Tourism Minister Zhavarg Jolly says that although crime is a “concern”, “government, police and community leaders are working together to restore confidence and ensure that people feel safe, so the Turks and Caicos will remain not only the most beautiful places in the world.”