Abandonment of Warrau migrants: “AFC Hughes’s immigration policy excuse exposed as cover-up amid lack of political gains” – VP Jagdeo

The Alliance For Change’s (AFC’s) use of Guyana’s immigration policy as an “excuse” to abandon a busload of Warrau people in Georgetown has been called out by Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday.

The group, comprising Venezuelan migrants, was taken under the wings of the Amerindian Affairs Ministry, which provided them with food, hampers, Christmas toys and money; and, critically, made logistical arrangements for them to be transported back to Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), where they are said to have originated.
AFC had claimed that the group of people, who alleged they were invited to Georgetown by President Dr Irfaan Ali, were abandoned by the Government.
In defending the Head of State, the Vice President condemned Hughes for the comments made, noting that the party sought to politicise the issue and cover up its tracks.
“Typical of the AFC, because it doesn’t come from their heart; typical of the AFC, he took the warehouse and dropped them off at a ministry. He deposited them and disappeared, sped off. That is the love that they had. They lost their love from the night before in a short period. In eight hours, they lost all their love for the warehouse. And they disappeared once again, Nigel Hughes”, the VP stated.
He added “This is typical of the AFC. Once he realized that there was nothing to be gained politically from it, he just dumped them again, like how they did their supporters in the 2015 to 2020 period. This time, the warehouse was the unsuspecting victims”.
Jagdeo reminded that it was the Opposition who allegedly smuggled immigrants to Guyana during its tenure in office.
“APNU’s immigration policy, what immigration policy they had? They brought, smuggled, 40,000 Haitians through Guyana”, he said.
“When Nigel Hughes’s party was in office, all of those who said they were the press conferences, they were there in Government. 40,000 Haitians were trafficked through Guyana and smuggled through Guyana. That was their immigration policy, with the complicity of the state officials,” Dr Jagdeo said.
It was reported that approximately 25 to 30 Warrau migrants, including children, were left outside of the Amerindian Affairs Ministry.
In an interview with this publication, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament Alister Charlie revealed that, on Tuesday, AFC leader Nigel Hughes spoke with him regarding the migrants.
According to Charlie, the AFC leader had told him he “doesn’t have time” to deal with the migrants’ plight, and the group was subsequently dumped at the Amerindian Affairs Ministry on Tuesday afternoon.
“When I came, I was told Nigel Hughes was in at the Ministry. So, I met with him, and he asked me if I knew about the Warraus…he said he would like to speak with the PS (Permanent Secretary). I said PS is in a meeting. However, PS will be on his way. He (Hughes) told me he doesn’t have enough time on his hands to deal primarily with the Warraus that are in Georgetown. And he will be here at 13:00hrs. That was conveyed to PS.”
Charlie related that he had to leave the Ministry for a meeting, while the PS also had another meeting to attend.
“Through the PS, we assisted them. These are Venezuelan, not Guyanese Warraus. We offered them hampers, every single one of them. Disbursed money to assist them. We also made transportation arrangements and put logistics in place to have them get back to Region Two, Charity. We feted the kids with Christmas toys, we brought Christmas for them. They were well treated,” Charlie said at the time.