Opposition Member of Parliament and Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister, Amanza Walton Desir, hammered the Government’s handling of the migrant crisis facing Guyana, as more Venezuelan migrants continue to pour in across the borders.

Making her contribution to the National Budget debates, MP Walton-Desir said it is clear that there is no regulation of migration in Guyana.

She said the migration of Venezuelans here must not be viewed in isolation with the ongoing border controversy and Venezuela’s ongoing claims of Guyana’s territory.

The Opposition MP, who is also an Attorney, said the Government appears to have lost control over the issue. She said the silence of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs on the migrant crisis during their budget debate contributions is testament that nothing is really being done and the government is not taking the matter seriously.

“Mr. Speaker, it is painfully obvious, painfully obvious from the fact that members had nothing to offer us as to how they will manage migration into this country, that they have lost control of the migrant situation, and they have put our country in clear and present danger, jeopardizing our security and our sovereignty,” the Opposition Member of Parliament noted.

The Opposition Member of Parliament said there must be a migration policy that will ensure not only orderly migration but the safety and security of Guyanese. She said under the current situation, Guyana and Guyanese are at risk.

“Mr. Speaker, to mitigate these risks and to protect the integrity of our nation, we must immediately Mr. Speaker, immediately establish a mandatory migrants registration system. This system will allow us to effectively monitor movement of individuals entering our country, to track the duration of their stay and to ensure that migration, particularly across our porous borders is monitored and to ensure that migration is done in a more orderly fashion,” Ms. Walton-Desir said.

Walton-Desir called out the Government for being “weak” in its vetting process for migrants. She said the Government must be mindful of the growing number of Venezuelan migrants coming over to Guyana, with no policy in place.

“We have to be mindful that this paradigm is not being used against us to our detriment but the deliberate injection of population into our Essequibo and Mr. Speaker we must place emphasis on enhancing our military presence along the border much like the coalition did with operation Armadillo instead of having our military men and women in blue T-shirts cleaning drains in the city,” the Opposition MP said.

Ms. Walton Desir said the migration profile which the Foreign Affairs Minister has embarked on since 2021, is still not in operation.

It is her view that the Government is not taking the issue seriously, particularly in view that, criminal elements could be among those coming to Guyana unchecked.

It is estimated that there are now more than 40,000 Venezuelan migrants spread across the country.

Related posts:

Walton-Desir calls for urgent meeting of Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Foreign Relations in wake of latest Venezuelan action Walton-Desir raises questions about Government’s planned integration of Venezuelan migrants Guyana must not operate as if its business as usual with the Venezuelan threats and influx of Venezuelan migrants -MP Walton-Desir BUDGET Debates: Walton-Desir blasts Govt. on Ethnic Discrimination, poor COVID Relief, and weak Foreign Policy