Most Venezuelans entering country are of Guyanese heritage – VP to Opposition

A significant majority of the cohort of people coming to Guyana from neighbouring Venezuela are Guyanese or Guyanese descendants and according to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, Government has a responsibility to treat and provide for them as any other citizen here.
Jagdeo’s remarks come on the heels of Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister for APNU, Amanza Walton-Desir, questioning Government’s plan to reintegrate the Venezuelan migrants into Guyanese society.
The Vice President said Walton’s remarks exposed the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition’s discriminatory stance on migrants. He argued that of the thousands of migrants who are coming here after fleeing hardship and the worsening economic crisis in the Spanish-speaking nation, only a few are actual Venezuelan nationals with the majority being Guyanese.
“The significant majority are Guyanese… These are our people. They have our blood. They’re Guyanese,” he insisted.

According to Jagdeo, many of these persons would have left Guyana and moved to Venezuela – and other countries – years ago in search of a better life after escaping the hardship and oppression that existed here at the time. Now that they are returning – some with their families including offspring who were born in Venezuela – Government has to provide for them.
“Those who fled Guyana and even their kids, based on our Constitution, they are citizens. They’re eligible for citizenship here. They have Guyanese blood and that’s 90 per cent of them. We have to extend some help to our own people when they come back here. Of course, we have to ensure that all those who stay here, they get a great education, they get help, too, and housing and stuff. But these are our people,” the Vice President posited.
Questioned about the data-gathering process to prove that most of the Venezuelan migrants coming here are, in fact, Guyanese and their descendants, Jagdeo indicated that the Government Ministries and other State agencies have gathered a lot of information on those persons coming here and can trace their roots to Guyana.
The Vice President went on to note that the APNU/AFC has a to- narrow political view and was caught up in an elitist approach to governance and development that makes it unsuitable to govern a multi-ethnic country like Guyana where people from all backgrounds should enjoy benefits equally. He also called for the Opposition to be condemned for its position on the Venezuelan migrants.

Commitment to help
Earlier this week, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd reiterated Government’s commitment to provide key services to the vulnerable Venezuelan migrants in the country. Many of those coming here, including Guyanese, have little to no support here and are left to fend for themselves – most living in deplorable conditions across the country.
However, at a recent meeting of the Multi-Agency Coordinating Committee, Government stakeholders and international partners met to collectively set the agenda to continue its work on providing the necessary humanitarian assistance to those migrants, inclusive of returning Guyanese fleeing economic hardship in Venezuela.
In a statement from the Ministry on Monday, Minister Todd noted that the long-term objective was to integrate these persons into Guyanese society, but in the meantime, the respective agencies are tasked with combining resources to provide services in key areas such as health care, education, labour, sanitation, shelter, food and clothing for the most vulnerable.
On Wednesday, however, the Opposition spokesperson on Foreign Relations questioned how this objective was arrived at by Government, since no consultation was held with Guyanese nor was the matter raised in the National Assembly.
Walton-Desir pointed to the fact that the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has reported that “there is currently no obligation of integration for migrants under international law” (Global Compact Thematic Paper | Responsibilities and obligations of migrants pg 3).
According to the Opposition Member of Parliament, “To arrive at such a conclusion, which has far-reaching implications for our sovereignty and territorial integrity, to do so without consulting Guyanese and without even the bare minimum of a clear, well-thought-out immigration policy in place, is sheer recklessness and gross dereliction of duty by the Irfaan Ali Government. We in the APNU/AFC have repeatedly said that we will respect and protect the human rights of any migrant in Guyana, and we will provide humanitarian relief and support, until they can safely return to their home country.”
Venezuelans have been entering Guyana’s territory in droves in recent times, fleeing harsh economic conditions in their homeland in search of betterment here.
Despite the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela and the case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Government of Guyana has taken a policy decision to offer humanitarian assistance to migrants fleeing from Venezuela.
Venezuelan migrants seeking refuge in Guyana are being encouraged to present themselves to immigration authorities to get registered in order to benefit from services offered by the Government.
Registration is made easy through the implementation of “roaming immigration officers” who traverse the areas usually populated by migrants and offer registration and extension of stay services remotely.
This process is focused on regularisation of these migrants thus preventing or reducing their vulnerability to trafficking, and sexual and labour exploitation.
In Guyana, all children of migrants, legal and illegal, from Venezuela and other countries are allowed full access to be enrolled in the public school system within the host communities, and to benefit from Government-funded support programmes including school-feeding programmes, school uniform vouchers, and the “Because We Care” cash grants given to all students.
Reports indicate that there are about 40,000 Venezuelan migrants residing in Guyana, with only 21,704 officially documented.