MEDIA STATEMENT RE: JEWISH GROUP IN AIRPORT

An orthodox Hasidic Jewish group, Lev Tahor were in transit to Guatemala through Trinidad and Tobago from Toronto, Canada. They arrived at Piarco International Airport on board a West Jet flight on Monday 3rd March 2014. They were interviewed by Immigration inconsistencies in their responses. authorities, who discovered

As a consequence, and in adherence to international immigration protocols, the group was rejected and advised of their inability to travel on to Guatemala. The group subsequently employed the services of a local attorney, Mr. Farah Masai, who began advocating their concerns with the airline and Immigration authorities. All measures of attempts to accommodate the group at a hotel of their choice and to also ensure that they were properly attended to were refused by the religious group.

Their spokesman Mr. Avraham Dinkel has continued to negotiate with local authorities to travel on to Guatemala and not return to Canada. However, due to ongoing international investigations via the Canadian authorities, the Immigration Services have been advised to pursue the decision of having the group return to their port of origin.

### Marcia Hope Director, Corporate Communications