42 persons from 10 countries get Guyanese citizenship

A total of 42 persons from 10 countries on Wednesday received their Guyanese citizenship following the Home Affairs Ministry’s naturalisation and registration ceremony on Wednesday.
“We all should embrace diversity; we can all learn from each other,” Permanent Secretary of that Ministry, Andre Ally, told the audience while giving brief remarks.
The ceremony also included remarks from the Head of Immigration Support Services, Michelle Davis, who expressed elation at being part of this inaugural ceremony.
The ceremony began with the recital of the National Pledge and National Anthem. Following the official ceremony, Permanent Secretary Andre Ally presented certificates to the new citizens.
When contacted, Ali told <<Guyana Times>> this is the first time such a ceremony was hosted, thus making it a historic event. He noted that among the nationals who became Guyanese citizens were Cubans, Brazilians and Indians.
Only recently, a section of the media reported there was an increase in applications for Guyanese citizenship.
Back in 2019, only 13 Haitians received Guyanese citizenship since 2015, which saw 141 persons from 35 different nationalities, including a single Haitian, being given Guyanese citizenship.
The following year, 192 persons were given Guyanese citizenship. The successful applicants were from 34 countries, including one from Haiti.
In 2017, nationals from 40 countries were given citizenship. The amount totalled 230 and included seven Haitians.
In 2018, 252 persons from 42 different countries were given citizenship; seven were from Haiti.
For 2020, just over 100 persons from 30 countries had received citizenship, including two Haitians.
The Ministry of Home Affairs website states that a person is eligible to apply for citizenship by naturalisation once he/she shows they are ordinarily resident in Guyana, and have been so resident throughout a period of seven years immediately preceding the application; that they are of good character; and that they intend to reside in Guyana.
On approval, the website said, the person would be granted a certificate of naturalisation, and would have to take the Oath of Allegiance to Guyana.
Included in a list of requirements published on the Ministry of Home Affairs website is that the “applicant must advertise in the newspaper for two consecutive days that he or she is applying to the Ministry of Home Affairs for Naturalisation as a citizen of Guyana.”