THE issue of Guyanese approaching the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek redress with respect to the treatment they receive at the hands of Barbadian Immigration officials is no longer a daily matter of concern for the desk of this country’s Foreign Minister.

Yesterday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, at a joint press conference with the Barbados Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxine Mc Clean, at the International Conference Centre, pointed out that for the past two years the issue has been a dead one, since there has been no complaint coming to her desk.

Minister Rodrigues, however, cautioned Guyanese to ensure that they uphold the laws of every country they visit, while urging visitors to this country to do the same. She said that she will not sit idly by and allow Guyanese to be subjected to inhumane treatment when travelling to other countries and say nothing about it.
Guyana and Barbados yesterday also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which speaks to the relationship between the two CARICOM countries and the movement of their peoples.
Asked about the signing of the MOU, in view of the CARICOM Skills Certificate, Minister Rodrigues pointed out that the new agreement will be applicable to persons with any form of skills, while the CSME certificate speaks to a specific category of persons with specific skills.
The agreement should come on stream soon, but not before the two sides meet again in three months to decide on an implementation date. The Barbados Minister is also responsible for immigration and security.
“There has been and will continue to be an easy flow of people between the two countries” she said, adding that “we have gone through a period where the media seems to play up issues which arose from time to time.”

The minister added that in all the cases the barring of Guyanese nationals was justified. Asked about some of the reasons that prevented them entry into her country, she listed issues with passports, those who were previously deported from the country, and those who would have overstayed their time previously, among other reasons.
For 2007 there were 29,709 Guyanese arrivals to Barbados, with 418 refusals and 4,488 overstays, while there was a figure of 28,376 representing departures.
For 2008 there were 31,276 arrivals to Barbados with 610 refusals and 4,869 overstays, while there was a figure of 27,158 representing departures.
For 2009 there were 23,409 arrivals to Barbados with 269 refusals and 2,651 overstays, while there was a figure of 22,625 representing departures.
For 2010 there were 19,432 arrivals to Barbados with 303 refusals and 3,974 overstays, while there was a figure of 19,652 representing departures.
For 2011 there were 24,543 arrivals to Barbados with 365 refusals and 5,862 overstays, while there was a figure of 24,348 representing departures.
For 2012 there were 21,358 arrivals to Barbados with 163 refusals and 4,870 overstays, while there was a figure of 21,524 representing departures.
Minister Maxine Mc Clean when asked to explain the evident fluctuation in the figures, she said that it has to do with the fact that Guyanese had found it no longer necessary to flock Barbados, since their main reason for travel to that country was to secure employment.
She said that she has noticed a construction boom in Guyana, and many persons who travelled to Barbados and other Caribbean countries to engage in construction work are finding the jobs right here.