MINISTER of Foreign Affairs Sean Sobers maintained the government's hard-line position against the presence of illegal migrants in TT, originally voiced by Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander.

Sobers was replying to Newsday's query at the post-cabinet briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's, on October 30, also attended by Local Government Minister Khadijah Ameen and Nicholas Morris, parliamentary secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister.

Newsday had asked Sobers if he wished to tweak the message of his cabinet colleague of "mass deportation" of illegal immigrants to instead say deportation would be only targeted at those involved in crime. Newsday asked about alarm in the Venezuelan community in TT, amid migrants being roughly handled by paramilitary agents in the US, and a need for TT to be a friend to all.