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By Mark DaCosta- On Tuesday October 18, social media in Guyana lit up with the news that The British government said that it was abolishing visa entry requirements for Guyanese. High Commissioner Jane Miller had announced the decision, which takes effect in November, saying it is “a real sign of the confidence the United Kingdom has in the growth of our relationship.”
But, was that the real reason? And, considering recent political developments in the United Kingdom (UK), what may be the future of that decision?
While many Guyanese were celebrating, and some observers were calling on the European Union to do the same, some analysts were wondering about the rationale for the sudden announcement.
According to one analyst, the decision has little to do with the [UK-Guyana] relationship, and, instead, is all about the policies and politics of Liz Truss, who became the UK’s prime minister on September 6 following Boris Johnson’s resignation amid a government crisis. Truss became prime minister amid ongoing cost of living and energy supply crises. In response to the problems, her government implemented an Energy Price Guarantee limiting energy prices for households, businesses and public sector organisations, and announced large-scale borrowing and various tax cuts in a mini-budget, which was poorly received and largely reversed.
Importantly, one of her key policy planks was opening up the borders of the UK to foreign migrants. The reason for this policy was to raise the number of workers allowed to enter the UK. According to reports seen by this publication, the [Liz Truss] government intended to lift the cap on seasonal agricultural workers and broadband engineers, and make other changes to the shortage occupations list, which would have allowed key sectors to recruit more overseas staff.
In the UK, two million job vacancies were advertised last month, with the social care sector trying to fill 105,000 posts. There is also a shortfall of 40,000 nurses and 100,000 drivers, and the farming industry has called for an extra 30,000 visas for seasonal workers.
Against this backdrop, the UK announced that effective October 12, citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates no longer require a transit visa, tourist visa, or visa for official visits. The announcement regarding Guyana’s citizens was made on October 18. Interestingly, all of the mentioned countries are oil exporting territories.
It may have been expected that after Guyanese and citizens of other territories entered the UK temporarily, those persons would seek to remain in the UK.
However, on 20 October 2022, after 44 tumultuous days in office, Liz Truss announced her resignation as Prime Minister in a speech outside Downing Street, making her the shortest tenured prime minister in the United Kingdom’s history. Her successor remains unnamed.
Considering the foregoing, Guyanese and other analysts are certainly watching developments in the UK, and many observers may be speculating about the future of the announced visa-free travel policy, since the incoming UK’s government may or may not remain on the trajectory embarked upon by the outgoing prime minister.
