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Guyanese Nationals Face Deportation
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By Don Anque
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America
GEORGETOWN, Guyana - 53 Guyanese were deported from Barbados since May as the result of a change in Barbadian immigration policy. The new immigration policy stipulates that undocumented immigrants living in Barbados must leave the country willingly or face deportation. For years, many Guyanese nationals and other non-Barbadians have enjoyed living in the country without immigration papers.
“If you are living in a country illegally and it is the
determination of the immigration office that you are to be deported, what are
we to do?” Inniss questioned.
“Give you a phone call and tell you that we are coming for you next
Thursday at 2 a.m.? You do not make an appointment with an individual to deport
them.”
Aside from being deported, another problem faces Guyanese nationals who decide to remain in Barbados. The prohibition on undocumented immigrants to attend public Barbadian grade schools has prevented children from gaining an education.
“This is one of the Government’s biggest concern…the fact
that there are children involved who are not going to school. In fact, it is
one of the issues that propels the managed migration policy so that families
could be drawn together more,” the Prime Minister Thompson claimed.
At the recent meeting of the Caribbean Community governments
(CARICOM), Jamaican Prime Minister PJ Patterson claimed that the community’s
credibility had been wounded by the failure to implement decisions year after
year.
“The litmus test for effective governance is not measured by
the decisions taken when heads meet, it is whether action follows.” Patterson
commented, adding that he himself could not be absolved of this flaw. “The greatest threat to the credibility
of CARICOM lies clearly in the failure to implement solemn declarations and
decisions made conference after conference.”
While diplomatic talks continue, the deportation of Guyanese nationals is on the rise. In June, the Barbadian Prime Minister David Thompson had denied any knowledge that the homes of Guyanese were being raided while implementing his government’s immigration policy.
“The police move around in the nights and they raid mostly the Guyanese East Indian residences because they are easily identifiable. I don’t know if President Jagdeo has any teeth,” Benn Rajkumar commented, an eight year resident of Barbados and Guyanese national.
For more information, please see:
Starbroek News – Caricom governance proposals for further discussion – 06 July 2009
Jamaica Gleaner – Fifty-three Guyanese deported from Barbados – 01 July 2009
Guyana Chronicle – New Barbados immigration policy disrupts a number of families – 04 July 2009
Kaieteur News – Guyanese in Barbados plead for President Jagdeo’s intervention – 18 May 2009
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