Dear Editor,
The establishment of the Department of Citizenship under the APNU+AFC Coalition Government represented a forward-thinking and strategic initiative aimed at strengthening Guyana’s institutional and policy framework in managing citizenship, immigration, and border affairs. Created under the Ministry of the Presidency, this Department ensured a coherent and coordinated approach to matters relating to naturalisation, migration, and the protection of national sovereignty.
Regrettably, following the assumption of office by the PPP/C administration in August 2020, the Department of Citizenship was disbanded, and operations reverted to the pre-May 2015 fragmented structure. This regression has had serious implications for the State’s ability to effectively manage migration and citizenship issues.
The weaknesses in the current structure have become increasingly evident with the influx of Venezuelan migrants across Guyana. While it is essential to show compassion and humanitarian support, there must also be effective systems for registration, monitoring, and integration. Venezuelans are now widely dispersed across all administrative regions, with many employed in retail stores, the construction industry, and as auxiliary staff at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Others are engaged as security officers in schools; positions that require effective communication, training, and trust, all of which can be undermined by the existing language barrier.
This situation raises legitimate questions about national policy direction, security oversight, and labour market regulation. Are these workers properly documented? Are their employers remitting contributions to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA)? Without proper institutional coordination, it becomes nearly impossible to ensure compliance, equity, and accountability.
Moreover, concerns were raised in the 12th Parliament when inaccurate figures were presented by the then Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, regarding the number of Venezuelans residing in Guyana. Those inaccuracies highlight the absence of a centralised and reliable data system, one that a functioning Department of Citizenship could have provided through proper registration, monitoring, and policy coordination.
The decision to dismantle this Department was both short-sighted and detrimental. Its re-establishment is urgently needed to restore policy coherence and to ensure that Guyana’s approach to migration management balances humanitarian obligations with the preservation of national order, public safety, and economic integrity.
On a separate but equally distressing note, I extend heartfelt condolences to the family of young Soyara Bourne, whose life was tragically lost due to the planting of a deadly explosive device by an unknown male at a service station on Regent Street. This heinous act has shaken the conscience of the nation and underscores the growing need for stronger national security and surveillance mechanisms, areas that, too, would have benefitted from inter-agency coordination under a structured Department of Citizenship.
The effective management of citizenship and migration is not merely administrative, it is foundational to national identity, public safety, and good governance. The Government must urgently reconsider its position and reinstate this critical institution in the interest of transparency, national security, and the orderly management of our country’s affairs.
Yours truly,
Annette Ferguson
