President urges foreigners to respect Guyana’s laws

By Vahnu Manikchand –

Foreign nationals from a number of countries were on Monday assured that government will help facilitate them having a hassle-free time in this country, but they, in return, must respect the laws and statutes.
At a meeting held at the International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, immigrants and non-immigrants highlighted that most of the problems they face are related to acquiring work permits and extension of stay. In a question and answer engagement, President Donald Ramotar assured the foreigners that he will have the matter looked into, since it should not be taking so long for them to get these papers.

Issues raised
Other issues raised include employment and educational opportunities, amnesty for illegal immigrants, and acquiring Identification Cards. President Ramotar, in delivering the feature address, pointed out that the whole immigration aspect is new to Guyana and reflects that the country’s economy is growing in a positive way, attracting nationals from different parts of the world.
“The fact that we have so many Guyanese in different parts of the world makes us want to ensure that you are here comfortably, because we would want other countries to treat our nationals in a proper way, therefore, we would always like to ensure that as long as you’re doing legitimate businesses in Guyana, you will be welcomed in our country,” the president stated.
Ramotar noted that he is aware and appreciates the positive contributions of non-nationals in Guyana, noting that he is extremely happy that foreign nationals come here to invest, use their skills and share their techniques. On this note, he said his government is trying to make things easier for them in Guyana and is constantly working to minimise delays in the approval of work permits.
The president continued that the government is working to improve the system for those who want to make Guyana their home, and is looking at a system that is automatic so that persons who spend more than seven years in Guyana can get their naturalisation papers faster without the hassle.
Ramotar further urged persons to learn English since it would benefit them in “moving around freely”. He also urged them to be law-abiding citizens, and noted that Guyana is desperately fighting the narcotic trade. He warned that there will be zero-tolerance for those involved, and pointed to the fact that while it seemed as though the Chinese nationals were targeted as they were constantly the victims of robberies, the security force is working assiduously to reverse this.
Support from govt
Chinese Ambassador to Guyana Zhang Limin, in brief remarks, said that thousands of Chinese people would not have travelled across the ocean to come live in Guyana without them being accommodated for and supported by the government of Guyana. He noted that since the arrival of Chinese in Guyana some 160 years ago, they went on to become pioneers and gradually integrated into the local society as law-abiding citizens.
He noted that the government of Guyana has been actively helping the Chinese community to solve the problems they face in this country, adding that his embassy has always played its part in ensuring that their people abide by the laws of Guyana.
Law-abiding
Brazil Ambassador to Guyana, Luiz Gilberto Seixas de Andrade disclosed that the flow of Brazilians to Guyana has increased over the past few years and most of them have come to work in the mining sector. He noted that the Brazilian embassy is aware that its citizens in Guyana are abiding by the law and make a significant contribution to the development of mining activities in Guyana.
The ambassador further stated that he is also aware that there are some Brazilians working without permits or engaged in illegal mining activities, or even both.  He noted that the two countries are engaging in talks concerning work permits so that illegal immigration will no longer pose a problem.
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, in addressing the gathering, said Guyana has an open immigration policy and is one of the few countries in the Caribbean to have that, while noting that the adjustment made a few years ago, which allows persons to be granted visas upon their arrival in Guyana, is very advantageous to foreigners coming to Guyana. He noted that the regularisation of all foreign nationals in Guyana is very important; otherwise they can encounter problems with the immigration authority.