I WAS taken aback when I read the story of two Bangladeshi nationals who were imprisoned here for overstaying their time. I forthwith said that Guyana should be the last place on God’s Green Earth to imprison anyone for an illegal stay-over.

I say this without any fear of contradiction because for a country with as many individuals living out of this country as they are resident inside, we have an unenviable reputation. I speak of approximately one million Guyanese living abroad for which many of that number are illegal guests somewhere, somehow, in another man’s country. How refreshing to hear that! So Guyana should be more humane in its treatment of illegal immigrants. Would we savour the idea of Guyanese aliens being rounded up like cattle and sent back home? Certainly not. Therefore, let us do the same to others who have broken the law here.
Some months ago a similar story surfaced with some of our neighbours from Venezuela and horror stories were written about their treatment here also. Let these things not be said of us as a nation that we imprison illegal immigrants because it will come back to haunt us in a very serious way.
In fact, I feel good when I hear of persons coming to my country to seek a better life (Freddie Kissoon and PNC/APNU would vehemently disagree with me. Their reasons being Guyana is the worst place on earth for them.
However, more and more incidents of the kind mentioned above suggest otherwise. Persons are indeed seeing Guyana as a land of opportunity. The only problem is some of them are doing it the wrong way. When this happens they should not be imprisoned for that. What should happen is that persons in that state ought to be taken to the Home Affairs Ministry and something worked out. An amicable solution thrashed out such as them wishing to return to their homeland or have them stay if they so desire. But no imprisonment, except if they are drug pushers or otherwise.

Guyana must be seen as a country that is nice and friendly to all and there is no better way to showcase this than in its humane treatment of those who ran afoul of the law.