Attorney General Hon. Anil Nandlall deserves credit for initiating a review of Guyana’s citizenship and immigration laws. His call for stronger checks and greater scrutiny is commendable and timely. Citizenship carries force, lasting rights and responsibilities, and Guyana must not be reluctant to assert its sovereignty over this issue, and set the standards by which it is granted.
I urge the Attorney General to publish proposals that require five continuous years of lawful residence before a discretionary grant of citizenship by naturalisation, verified through reliable immigration records. Applicants should demonstrate good character and lawful conduct, provide proof that they have filed returns and paid taxes where legally required, and show a practical ability to communicate in English, with accessible instruction and reasonable exceptions. Decisions should follow published criteria, individual assessment and a fair process, similar to US standards.
The review must address the law as it stands. Guyana already imposes residence and good-character requirements for naturalisation; the Citizenship Act provides for five years of residence in aggregate within an earlier seven-year period, followed by twelve months of residence immediately before application, while allowing ministerial exceptions. Citizenship by birth, descent and marriage follows distinct legal rules, including constitutional protections. Mr. Nandlall is the most learned functionary to identify which changes Parliament can make by ordinary law and which would require constitutional reform.
Guyana also needs a separate, transparent skilled-worker programme. Employers should identify genuine shortages, advertise opportunities to Guyanese first, verify foreign qualifications and employment terms, and meet tax and labour obligations. Recruitment can reach the Caribbean, Suriname, Brazil, India and other countries, not only Venezuela. Proven skills should be central to a targeted work-permit programme; they should not become a blanket test that excludes spouses or other people who qualify for citizenship under different laws. Guyana’s employment-permit process already calls for documents including credentials, a vacancy advertisement and tax-compliance information.
Our country has every right to manage migration responsibly, protect its labour market and plan for the demands on housing, schools and public services. It should publish reliable figures on arrivals, permits, naturalisations and workforce needs. Venezuela’s territorial claim must be opposed firmly, and Venezuelan individuals should be judged by the same lawful standards as everyone else, not held responsible for their government’s actions.
Our nation must, nevertheless, be careful not to allow the proverbial Venezuelan Trojan horse to manifest itself, and avoid running the risk of an overrun by allowing a disproportionate number of Venezuelans to plant roots in Guyana.
I commend Attorney General Nandlall for opening this review. Mr. Nandlall, let its result be a clear, enforceable and fair framework that safeguards Guyanese citizenship while welcoming the people and skills Guyana genuinely needs.
By Hon. Albert Baldeo
Community Leader and Judicial Delegate, LITTLE GUYANA, New York;
President, Guyana Beyond Borders; Fmr. Magistrate, Senior State Counsel, Police Legal Advisor, GUYANA
