…says “we don’t want people here to contribute to that form of criminality”
The election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States of America (USA) has seen some expressing concerns, since he has among other things, committed to deporting all illegal migrants from that country when he officially takes Office.
President David Granger has since expressed some level of concern with regard Guyana’s ability to handle any possible influx of Guyanese being deported from the USA.
The President was at the time engaging the local media for his weekly television programme— The Public Interest—and when questioned on the matter said bluntly “we don’t have the capability.”
He was speaking to the possible influx of deportees involved in the commission of violent crimes.
The President was adamant that Government will be looking to work with its US security counterparts with a view to being notified when such persons are being deported to Guyana.
Granger conceded that there is still some degree of narco-trafficking in Guyana in addition to execution-type murders and “we don’t want to have people coming back here who contribute to that form of criminality.”
“We want to be better prepared,” the President said, as he disclosed that the issue is something the Public Security Ministry is aware of.
According to President Granger, “we will have to put measures in place to ensure deportees do not try to perpetrate crimes when they get back here but it is something we must prepare for.”
US President-Elect Donald Trump has repeatedly over the course of his election bid pitched the idea of deporting all illegal immigrants from the US with particular reference to Mexicans—with whom the Americans share a land border.
The remarks have however sent shockwaves across the US’ migrant communities including Guyanese, some of whom are resident illegally in that country.
Trump Policy
Head of State Granger is of the view however that such practices cannot be condoned and it is within the right of any sovereign nation to ensure and take actions to minimise the impact of those abuses.
According to Granger, the deportation of illegals from a country “is not a Trump policy.”
No country, he said, “tolerates illegality and if there are abuses it is quite within the right of a sovereign state to minimise the impact of those abuses on the host country.”
He pointed to the fact that Guyana has over the years deported a number of persons from within its borders coupled with the fact that illegal Guyanese have been deported from other countries, including neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Suriname.
