Foreign Affairs Ministry distances Guyana from CSME trafficking
THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has the responsibility for issuing Skilled Nationals  Certificates for Guyanese to work in other CARICOM States, has, categorically, denied that it has started the issuance to tradesmen.
The denial about the ‘CARICOM Skilled Nationals Certificates’ follows an article headlined ‘Guyanese among foreigners being trafficked to T&T under guise of CSME’ which was reprinted from the Trinidad Guardian newspaper in the June 15 edition of Kaieteur News.
Similar publications were also in Stabroek News and Guyana Times newspapers, making reference to Haitians, Jamaicans and Guyanese being trafficked into Trinidad and Tobago under  cover of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME).
The newspaper report said many of them were duped into believing they were entering T&T as tradesmen as permitted by the CSME.
But a Foreign Affairs Ministry release said it wishes to inform that, while tradesmen may qualify under the approved CARICOM skilled nationals category of artisans, Guyana has not begun to issue certificates to that category of workers, as the Ministry of Education is addressing the relevant requirements.
In an invited comment on Thursday, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett told the Guyana Chronicle that she has personally written her Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) counterpart, requesting his assistance in the provision of more information but has not yet received a response.
“If our citizens are being trafficked, we have a responsibility, whether they are in a CARICOM country and we can try to deal with it,“ she  said.
The Minister added: “Like I said, there may very well be people who were hired, taken there and treated in ways they should not be treated. But, for us, I would not want any doubt to be cast upon us issuing CSME certificates here because we don’t issue for those particular categories.”
She implored Guyanese who are being recruited to work in CARICOM countries to be vigilant, so they are not exploited.

Seek assistance

Should they find themselves in such a situation, they must, without delay, seek assistance at the Guyana Consulate, Minister Rodrigues-Birkett advised.
However, a source told this newspaper that many persons who find themselves in such circumstances may be in the country illegally and, as such, may be wary of making  reports that would attract not only the attention of officials at the Guyana Consulate but police and immigration authorities on the islands.
It is for this reason that unscrupulous recruiting employers take advantage of foreign nationals, the source explained.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Affairs Ministry release stated that, while the recent Guardian story does raise some serious issues with respect to trafficking of Guyanese and other CARICOM nationals into T&T, the Government of Guyana had, last April, written to the twin island authorities when similar statements were published by the media, with a view to collaborating to combat the problem.
The Ministry reiterated its clarification of any misconceptions that CARICOM Skilled Nationals Certificates are being made available to carpenters and masons and are being used otherwise.
It reminded that there are no categories of persons to whom CARICOM Skilled Nationals Certificates can be issued and reiterated Guyana has only been facilitating free movement within the region by giving certificates to eight of the approved categories of workers.
They are university graduates, trained teachers, registered nurses, artistes, musicians, sportspersons, media workers and persons with associate degrees and equivalent qualifications.
The other category that Guyana has not been affording certificates are domestic workers in possession of a Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ), as the requirements for that grouping are still being addressed.
The public is, therefore, reminded that free movement under the CSME requires a valid CARICOM Skilled Nationals Certificate, commonly called a CSME Certificate, under one of the aforementioned categories.
The holder of a valid CSME certificate obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not required to obtain a work permit, the release maintained.