Several Guyanese living in Trinidad and Tobago are disappointed with the services being offered at Guyana’s Honorary Consulate in Port of Spain.
The complaints come even as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is finalizing the accreditation of Cammie Ramsaroop who was appointed earlier this year as the High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.
But even as that change is about to take effect, Guyanese in Trinidad want the government to take urgent action to ensure that the representation that they are entitled to abroad is afforded to them.
Some have complained that they have not been able to secure help, particularly in the area of renewing their passports.
One woman who opted to remain anonymous identified one staff a staff member and claimed that she has been assisting some citizens while others are being turned away.
“This woman and another one name, are really not helping Guyanese the way they should. Some persons are getting representation while others can’t get help,” the woman said.
She claimed that she tried to renew her passport twice and was told by Denise that the Mission was looking to stop sending passports back home to be renewed.
“About two weeks after my uncle went and got his renewed. When he told me I say like I went the wrong place so I went back with he and the woman said it would cost TT$505 with the pictures when I going and give her the money, the woman said to take the money and buy a ticket and go home and apply for it.”
Several other persons have reported sharing the same experience.
As a consequence, the government is being urged to investigate the situation and offer clarity on the position.
Efforts to reach Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge by News Source were unsuccessful.
It must be noted that there is a large number of Guyanese living in Trinidad illegally.
Earlier this year the government had announced that Trinidad and Tobago led the way in 2015 with deporting the highest number of Guyana nationals from its shores.
According to documents presented to the Guyana Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations, between January 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016, 157 Guyanese nationals were deported from the twin-island Republic.
119 of them were deported for overstaying their time while 26 were deported for illegal entry.
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