Guyana’s borders being monitored for movement of migrants – CDC

To monitor the number of imported cases of COVID-19 in Guyana, the Civil Defence Commission has been paying close watch along the borders with assistance from Guyana’s law enforcement agencies.
Head of the CDC, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig noted on Monday that these efforts would have started a while ago and are continuing, especially in the Region One (Barima-Waini) zone. The region is especially one of concern, owing to the high traffic of migrants from Venezuela.
“Before COVID-19, there was always continuous monitoring of the borders, particularly in the Region One area as it relates to migrants crossing the borders to Guyana. And that has been a continuous process in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force,” Craig shared.
He added that they have been utilising a tracking device to acquire data from the movement of people at specific locations. Presently, the immigration authorities have shared the responsibility of ensuring that persons entering through the borders are free from COVID-19.
“As a matter of the fact, there is a tracking device that is used by IOM that track and collect data of persons traversing these locations. Apart from that, after our first case or even before our first case, the Police Force particularly when it comes to the Immigration Department is asked to ensure that they have systems to track persons,” the CDC Head said.
If a suspected case is detected, it is transferred to a hospital with the capability of handling it effectively and eliminating a possible spread.
“When you track and identify suspected cases or a person of interest, that information comes to the Health Emergency Operation Centre and they will be working closely with the different hospitals and the hospitals are equipped to manage the different levels of cases. It is an integrated approach and all information would come to the Health Emergency Operation Centre.”
Due to the economic crisis in Venezuela, persons have been trickling in to Guyana in search of better prospects. In most scenarios, they settle in the Region One area.
Just over one week ago, the United Nations had warned that the coronavirus would bring increased illegal border crossings by neighbouring Venezuelans, looking to flee the already beleaguered state.
Guyana shares a 3000-kilometre largely unpatrolled and unprotected border with Venezuela and according to a recently-released United Nations report, “…with new or revised entry requirements imposed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability of refugees and migrants to regularly enter and stay in some countries has decreased”.
As such, this would result in “risks of increased irregular border crossings and heightened pressure in areas of concentration and available services”.
The “Global Humanitarian Response Plan COVID-19 United Nations Coordinated Appeal April-December 2020”, released this week by the UN, found that refugees and migrants, in particular those in irregular situations, are at high risk of being left out of health responses and continue to be particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, including violence and discrimination, smuggling and trafficking, and negative coping mechanisms.