The Turks and Caicos Government has restarted its Informal Settlement Containment Programme which aims to minimise squatting on public lands. On Tuesday May 7, 2013 the Joint-Law Enforcement Committee resumed government’s initiative to curtail the illegal occupancy of Crown Land.
The team comprising of personnel from the Lands Division, Planning and Immigration Departments, the Department of Environment and Maritime Affairs, the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, among others, took to the area of Five Cay known as the “Wells” and posted notices on structures that were built without proper authorisation.
Notices to cease construction were placed on structures that are unoccupied and currently under construction. Eviction notices were served on individuals occupying structures that were constructed after November 2009. The developments being targeted are all located on Crown Land.
The Programme dates back to November 2009 when the initial joined-up government informal settlement containment operation was mounted. At that time Government announced its zero-tolerance policy on squatting. Due to the economic downturn and the need to balance resources there was a decrease in the number of coordinated and consistent operations to tackle squatting in the last few years.
The Crown Land Ordinance prohibits any individuals without the lawful authority to use or occupy, to construct any building or structure, or abandon any vehicle on Crown Land.
Anyone found guilty of such an offence is liable upon summary conviction, to a fine of US$10,000 or to imprisonment for six months and upon conviction on indictment to a fine of US$50,000 or to imprisonment for two years.
The actions undertaken by the Government this week, is in accordance with the law and is in an effort to minimise and eventually eradicate the problem, Director of Crown Lands Mr. Leroy Charles noted.
“It is recognised that individuals will be displaced as a result of the exercise; however the intention is not to forcibly remove persons and leave them without a home, but to give them adequate notice to find an alternative,” Mr. Charles said.
He continued: “The vision is to cleanup the areas on which individuals are building without permission. You will also find that persons have built in low-lying areas and within these squatter communities the houses are stacked at just a couple of feet apart and, generally, with poor sanitation; it’s a hazard which must be rectified because in the case of a natural disaster the consequences could be catastrophic.”
Mr. Charles also stated that the Joint-Law Enforcement Committee will continue to carry out its activities with emphasis detecting emerging incidents through continuous monitoring. In addition, links are being forged with land owners to assist them in identifying the various options that are available to them to combat this problem on privately owned lands.
