UNHCR Guyana calls for refugee integration

As World Refugee Day was celebrated on Thursday, UNHCR Guyana advocated for refugees, stating that they should be given a chance to showcase their various skills and talents.
Associate Protection Officer for UNHCR Guyana, Jenel Greene, championed this cause during a collaborative panel discussion on Thursday.
“Let’s not leave refugees in the shadows; instead, let’s give them a chance to use their skills and talents and contribute to the communities that welcome them. This is the message we would like to send to all of you, it starts with us,” she stated.
Greene pointed out UNHCR Guyana’s goal, stating that they are envisioning long term resolutions. “Our aim, the goal, the ultimate thing we want, is long-lasting solutions, durable solutions. In order for us to achieve global solutions, it’s a part of UNHCR’s global approach to include, to partner with civil society organizations, other NGOs, and, most importantly, to work with the Government.”
Meanwhile Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Paloma Mohammed Martin, relayed various instances when the University of Guyana included migrants into educational sessions.
“The university was asked to create a short course program for forensic artists so that children could have artistic impressions of migrants,” she relayed.
She also expressed her fervent wish that anyone who crosses Guyana’s borders be treated fairly. “I have this interest in making sure that whoever touches their feet into our country, no matter how they got here, we find a way to make sure they become legal, integrate and are treated in a human and proper way,” she highlighted.
On this point, she commended the UNHCR by stating that it has been playing its role in ensuring that respective legal implementations are structured for migrants.
“UNICEF has also worked hard, spending quite a bit of time and funds to address this issue. I hope it has made it all the way into law, and not just sat on a piece of paper. Maybe today someone will remember it and say, ‘Hey, we need to deal with this’,” she expressed.
Guyana hosts 24,500 refugees and migrants from Venezuela, as well as 206 refugees and asylum seekers from other nationalities, including Cubans and Haitians. The event aims to recognize the strength of the refugees who have fled conflict and persecution in their countries in hope of finding sanctuary and living a better life.