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186 CARICOM nationals denied entry –in past 18 months, Minister Felix reports

 

By Svetlana Marshall

OVER the last 18 months, 186 CARICOM nationals have been denied entry into Guyana and among the key reasons provided by the Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix was lack of sufficient funds. Felix made the disclosure on Wednesday during a parliamentary sub-committee meeting on the mandates, roles and functions of the Department of Citizenship with special focus on visas, work permits and citizenship. He, along with Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, appeared before the committee, headed by People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Chief Whip Gail Teixeira.
Additionally, the Minister of Citizenship told the committee that a number of non-nationals, some of whom have been working, have overstayed their time without any attempt to apply for extensions.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge

Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge

Minister Felix’s power-point presentation and written responses to the committee had caused the PPP Chief Whip to question both of the Government ministers on the immigration policy of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government.


Do we want as a country to have more people come, work, invest… or do we want to ensure that we are controlling the movement and therefore in some cases restricting?” Teixeira asked.
In response, the Foreign Affairs Minister said Guyana as a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM) has certain obligations with respect to the movement of people.


He said while there are provisions for CARICOM nationals under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas which gave rise to the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), certain requirements must be met. Despite the commitment made by Guyana with respect to the movement of non-nationals, Minister Greenidge emphasised all the established requirements must be met.
“We are committed to honouring the obligations that are in the Treaty of Chaguaramas and the CSME and of course the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). And those will cause us to look more carefully at the policies that were implemented,” Minister Greenidge said.
He emphasised that while Caribbean nationals are allowed to enter Guyana for a period of six months, upon arrival they must satisfy the minimum requirements.
Minister Felix, in offering his contributions, said Government is concerned about the issue of Trafficking in Persons (TIPs).
“For example, women and young children arriving at your port and they have no support. They don’t have any evidence of how they will support themselves for a month. It must trigger the mind of an immigration officer that something is amiss and some of the persons were treated like that because we did not want to allow the development of any issue of Trafficking in Persons,” Minister Felix explained. However, he said the issue is currently under review.


While the country has denied access to 186 CARICOM nationals over the last 18 months, in 2014, it approved 1473 visa applications under five categories, namely business, employment, courtesy, student and visitor with business representing the largest block – some 790.
However, in 2015, the number of visas approved by Guyana dropped to 1171, but the number of employment visas remain relatively high at 569. Already for this year, 880 visa applications have been approved.
Additionally, 1117 work permits and extensions of stay were granted for 2014, 1525 for 2015 and at the end of June 2016, 194 work permits had been granted.

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"In 2014, it approved 1473 visa applications under five categories, namely business, employment, courtesy, student and visitorwith business representing the largest block – some 790."


 

Looks like something is happening,the doom and gloom crew will be in disarray.

Django
Bibi Haniffa posted:

Yes coolie people will starve soon!!!!!

Let me tell you something any Collie who ah starve is lazy,most of us ride out the Burnham days and survived,our fore parents band their belly since Colonial days and provide for their families,why do think dhall and rice with any kind of choka or bhagee is on a daily menu added to that some sweet water shrimps and fish plus some ground provision and plantains,fresh vegetables from the garden,cows milk,coconut oil and lil flour we are good.

Django
Django posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

Yes coolie people will starve soon!!!!!

Let me tell you something any Collie who ah starve is lazy,most of us ride out the Burnham days and survived,our fore parents band their belly since Colonial days and provide for their families,why do think dhall and rice with any kind of choka or bhagee is on a daily menu added to that some sweet water shrimps and fish plus some ground provision and plantains,fresh vegetables from the garden,cows milk,coconut oil and lil flour we are good.

So why dont you go back and eat rice and any kind of Choka. People like you just full of shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nehru
Django posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

Yes coolie people will starve soon!!!!!

Let me tell you something any Collie who ah starve is lazy,most of us ride out the Burnham days and survived,our fore parents band their belly since Colonial days and provide for their families,why do think dhall and rice with any kind of choka or bhagee is on a daily menu added to that some sweet water shrimps and fish plus some ground provision and plantains,fresh vegetables from the garden,cows milk,coconut oil and lil flour we are good.

Who told you, you are a coolie? Not in my book, sir. You and gilbakka are in the same league as Moses to betrayed your Indian heritage to joint the party of beef, pork and fufu. All you tun rachass overnight. On the day of judgment, Blackman will be your judge. No God will have mercy on you.

FM

If you think you're more Indian than Guyanese why don't you do the right goddam thing, pack your bags and head on to India, where the white man took you away from, go ahead snake, no one here will stop you, please take Prashad when you leave.

The two gentlemen Django and Gilbakka have more class on the tip of their dicks than you have in your whole body. They are also nowhere close to being as dumb as you.

cain
Cobra posted:
Django posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

Yes coolie people will starve soon!!!!!

Let me tell you something any Collie who ah starve is lazy,most of us ride out the Burnham days and survived,our fore parents band their belly since Colonial days and provide for their families,why do think dhall and rice with any kind of choka or bhagee is on a daily menu added to that some sweet water shrimps and fish plus some ground provision and plantains,fresh vegetables from the garden,cows milk,coconut oil and lil flour we are good.

Who told you, you are a coolie? Not in my book, sir. You and gilbakka are in the same league as Moses to betrayed your Indian heritage to joint the party of beef, pork and fufu. All you tun rachass overnight. On the day of judgment, Blackman will be your judge. No God will have mercy on you.

You are right... coolies are not indians but the pjorative stereotype of the low classed,  uneducated and oppressed loogie dweller. You are still there in your head. Sorry, there are no day of judgement except the one you are living in and you are still scurrying in the shadows like a rat. Your diseased opinions cannot see the light of day.

FM

As opposed to an indian country? Quit the carpetbagger frame of reference both sides seem to be stuck in and look to it beyond the ethnic label of choice.  That is its future.

FM

Guyana will never be an Indian country and it shouldn't.  It is a land of six races.  However, the policies being implemented by the coalition will drive people away.  Ethic cleansing is real, whether you want to admit it or not. 

Bibi Haniffa
Bibi Haniffa posted:

Guyana will never be an Indian country and it shouldn't.  It is a land of six races.  However, the policies being implemented by the coalition will drive people away.  Ethic cleansing is real, whether you want to admit it or not. 

That is agit prop not fact. People leave because for all intents our country is still a third world nation with poor education, poor health services, problematic transportation and communication infrastructure. Those who can will leave. Life is short. We are sixty years into this stagnation and not to mention the minor inconveniences of horrible delivery of services. There are less prohibitions on travel these days so many will continue to leave. That is their choice.

I have no qualms with the APNU putting their people in office. That is what the PPP did and the reason so many indians find themselves having to actually do real work,

FM

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