Over 12,000 migrant workers granted work permits in 2025

More than 12,000 migrant workers were granted work permits to work in Guyana in 2025, as the country continues to grapple with a growing labour shortage amid rapid economic expansion. This disclosure was made by Labour and Manpower Planning Minister, Keoma Griffith during an appearance on the Starting point podcast on Sunday. According to the Minister, migrant labour is currently being managed through a n inter-ministerial system involving the Labour and Manpower Planning Ministry and also the Home Affairs Ministry, which oversees work permits and security matters.
“For 2025, we had just over 12,000 migrant workers registered in Guyana through obtaining work permits. Is there a system that can be strengthened? Yes, we acknowledge that. Are we taking steps to strengthen the system? Yes, we are. And so, myself and the Minister of Home Affairs, we have started examining the issue, examining the current construct of the model, and looking at ways in which we can advance it towards a policy,” he said.
He explained that while systems already exist to regulate migrant labour, the Government is actively working to strengthen monitoring mechanisms as the demand for workers to continues to increase.
Guyana’s economy which is driven by major infrastructure projects, energy development and expanding industries has significantly increases the demand for labour across multiple sectors. Griffith noted that the shortage of workers has become one of the country’s most pressing challenges being faced.
“The reality is we have a major labour shortage in this country. It’s one of the major issues that His Excellency, it’s the number one issue, actually, that His Excellency highlighted in his address at the Gas to Energy Conference just last month. And so, we have to look at ways as to how we can fix this problem,” Minister Griffith added.
To address the situation, the Government is examining the current framework used to manage migrant labour and exploring ways to improve it through policy reforms.
The Labour and Manpower Planning Ministry, disclosed that the Ministry along with the Ministry of Home Affairs, has already begun reviewing the existing model to determine how it can be strengthened.
The review is also being done with consideration for a regional labour policy currently under development by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which could influence how migration for work is managed across Caribbean states.
Griffith said the Government intends to develop a comprehensive labour migration policy to better regulate the inflow of foreign workers while still ensuring that opportunities remain available for Guyanese.
The Minister stressed that migrant workers are not replacing local workers but rather helping to fill gaps in the labour market created by the country’s rapid development.