World Refugee Day 2024: HIAS making a positive impact on lives of migrants

– assisted over 9000 in various sectors

World Refugee Day was observed on Thursday, June 20, 2024, and HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) Guyana since its formation in 2020 has been playing its part to assist migrants in various aspects ranging from health care to legal protection.
To date, some 9,386 migrants have received assistance from the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO)
HIAS Guyana is a branch of the global humanitarian organisation, dedicated to supporting migrants and refugees. The organisation offers comprehensive services including mental health support, legal protection, economic inclusion, and assistance for survivors of gender-based violence.
Aligned with its mission, “to welcome the stranger, protect the refugee,” A representative, Lyn Ocrospoma spoke of the organisation’s comprehensive strategy during a recent interview with Guyana Times.
She emphasised that a significant portion of the individuals assisted by HIAS are prepared to enter the workforce. “We prepare persons to access jobs and when I say jobs I mean we prepare migrants to enter into the world of work,” Ocrospoma revealed.

Presently, the organisation does not have a program in Guyana that directly connects people with jobs. However, they have partnerships that would have enabled individuals to access job interviews and formal employment opportunities.
She added that the language barrier is a major challenge in Guyana which poses additional difficulties for migrants daily.
“One of our main services is to provide connections to health services. Many people come to us and say that because of our colleagues, they were able to get treatment at the hospital. Navigating the public hospital system can be confusing, especially for those who don’t speak the language. That’s where we come in; we serve as a connection to migrants and refugees,” she explained.
HIAS’s Week Plans for World Refugee Day
Meanwhile, in observance of World Refugee Day, Ocrospoma revealed that HIAS has organised a series of informative sessions, screenings, and group discussions to raise awareness and provide essential information to migrants in various regions of Guyana.
“For Refugee Day, we would have had informative sessions about protection services, how to access services in Region 3, Diamond, and Region 7, as well as activities in our office on GBV and protection services. We are also planning a foreign cinema event in Region 1.”
Further, she stated that throughout the week, “we’ll have various activities, including an MHPSS group session online so people can participate from where they are. Additionally, we have started a project with the European Union (EU).”
“The programme focuses on access to services and skills. This EU program aims to create safe spaces in regions 3 and 7. By identifying and providing these spaces, we facilitate access to our economic inclusion programs. This initiative also aims to improve the capacities of community leaders, enabling them to create safe spaces for various TPP situations,” Ocrospoma elaborated.
When asked about the mental toll of their work and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ocrospoma noted that HIAS has adapted its programs to continue supporting migrants.
They provide critical information sessions about protection services, how to access various services and reproductive health. This effort is bolstered by significant support from international donors, including the US Government, UNHCR, Airbnb, and the European Union.
“Our work is hard, but we have coping mechanisms in place, including psychological support sessions for our staff… We also rely on the creativity and collaboration within our team to manage the workload and achieve our goals.”
Looking ahead, HIAS is committed to continuing its support for migrants in Guyana. They encourage the local community to welcome and integrate newcomers, emphasising that refugees are often forced to leave their home countries due to dire circumstances.
“We want to thank the Guyanese community and government for their support. We ask everyone to be kind and help each other access services,” says Ocrospoma.
Over the years Venezuelans have fled their homeland to Guyana due to harsh economic conditions in search of betterment here. To date, some, 29,000 of them live in various regions across that country.

Migrants in Guyana
Venezuelan migrants seeking refuge in Guyana are being encouraged to present themselves to immigration authorities to get registered 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 labor 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. (Mishael Henry)