…Jagdeo calls for probe into immigration, general registration offices
Reports of over 8000 Haitian immigrants entering Guyana for the year thus far, but only a handful of them leaving, and concerns relating to alleged collusion between key agencies have prompted calls by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo for investigations into the agencies responsible.
According to Jagdeo during his weekly press briefing on Wednesday, his party has, for some time now expressing concerns over the large influx of Haitian immigrants.
He alleged that the surge of immigrants and the ongoing House-to-House registration exercise are more than mere coincidence.
Jagdeo compared the number of Haitian immigrants arriving and departing from Guyana over the past few years. He noted that up to April 30th, 2018, records show that 1,238 Haitian immigrants arrived and 85 departed.
Therefore, Jagdeo expressed shock at reports that in seven months 8,600 immigrants reportedly entered the country for this year.
There are reports that the Haitian immigrants arrived on flights of the Panamanian-owned Copa Airlines. A source told this newspaper that the Copa flights have been coming to Guyana daily with over 50 Haitians on average arriving. Copa conducts up to six flights to Guyana weekly.
Jagdeo has since expressed concerns and has called for investigations into the General Registration Office and the Immigration Department.
Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix had said the Government is obligated to admit Haitians for an automatic six-month stay since they are nationals of the regional trade and integration bloc CARICOM.
“Our visa policy with CARICOM permits their arrival and we are not going to stop them,” Felix said.
Last year, the Ministry of Citizenship had revealed to the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament that over 22,000 persons entered Guyana from January to April.
The Ministry had revealed that of this number, only 6, 170 had departed. In addition, it was shown that there are no records of 17,615 immigrants departing from 2013 to 2018.
