Most Guyanese living today are descendants of migrants – voluntary or involuntary – from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean who came prior to the start of the 2oth century. International migration is neither new nor unnatural but the process should be monitored continuously and managed competently. Most migrants entering Guyana since the start of the 21st century are Venezuelans who now constitute the most massive immigration since East Indian indentureship ended over a century ago,
International organisations have warned Guyana about the menace of ‘migrant overflow’ caused by the huge influx of unmanaged, unregistered and unsettled Venezuelans. The International Office for Migration warned that ‘migrant overflow’ has put pressure on the country’s limited resources. The International Labour Organisation warned that countries experiencing ‘migrant overflow’ would face challenges of access to basic and protection services and social cohesion. The International Monetary Fund also warned that ‘migrant overflow’ can lead to economic and social crises.
Former President David Granger, speaking on the programme – The Public Interest – called attention to the migrant crisis which started at the dawn of this century under the People’s Progressive Party administration. The trickle during the regime of President Hugo Chavez became a flood over the past twelve years under President Nicolas Maduro.
Most of the migrants are Indigenous Venezuelans, 48 per cent of whom have no regular immigration status and about 20 per cent have complained about issues that affect their everyday livelihood. Venezuelan migrants face challenges of the language barrier that hinders access to social services. They also suffer from lack of formal employment, lack of safe and sanitary housing and lack of consular services by their own government. Guyanese-Venezuelans and their descendants are also among migrants.
Problems persist largely because the PPP administration casually maintains only a light public administration, public health, public security and national defence presence along the country’s almost 3, o00 km borders. The administration, however, was forced to acknowledge that Venezuelan migrants are posing human safety threats. Some have committed serious crimes and 49 are currently serving prison sentences for robbery and murder. Migrant girls are vulnerable to human trafficking and a Venezuelan woman was indicted for trafficking young girls and withholding their identification documents. Migrants often survive in low-paying, intermittent, manual and menial jobs in the informal economy without the protection of trade union representation or social security.
Mr. Granger pointed out that the PPP administration’s mismanagement and its reckless dissolution of managerial measures which were introduced by A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance for Change administration are at the core of the crisis. The APNU+AFC administration had adopted a purposeful, pro-active, executive and administrative posture by establishing the Department of Citizenship under a Minister to manage Venezuelan migration among other things.
The National Multi-Sectoral Coordination Committee was convened to collaborate with international agencies − including IOM, PAHO, UNHCR and UNICEF − since March 2018 and Operation Armadillo – a multi-agency operation was launched to reinforce the borders and maintain security and stability in frontier villages where residents had been rattled by criminal gangs and ‘migrant overflow’. The consequences of Venezuela’s territorial claims are continuous concerns about territorial security and complicate the parlous hinterland situation.
