GUYANA does not have the capability to handle deportees from the United States of America (USA), President David Granger has said.The President was at the time responding to a question on whether Guyana is prepared to handle these cases if US President-elect Donald Trump goes ahead with his campaign promise and deport illegal aliens in the US.

Speaking on his weekly television programme ‘The Public Interest’ on Thursday, Mr Granger said his Government needs to work with the US to ensure that measures are put in place to make Guyana better prepared to handle persons deported, especially if they are convicted of crimes in the US.

“We just want to be better prepared, it’s something that the Ministry of Public Security is aware of and we will have to make sure that we put measures in place to ensure that those persons, those deportees do not perpetrate crimes when they get back here,” the Head of State said.

According to the President, the US also needs to notify Guyana whenever it decides to deport Guyanese who committed crimes in that country.

“We need to work with the United States Government so that persons who might have been involved in violent crimes, you know, crimes of murder, or narco trafficking or people trafficking are notified to us so we can build in Guyana, the resources to manage them when they come back here. We don’t have the capability, as you know, there are still some degree of narcotics trafficking in Guyana, we have executions, murders and we don’t want to have people coming back here, who contribute to that form of criminality. So it is something that we can work out with the United States.”

Mr Granger noted that it is within the jurisdiction of a sovereign state to expel illegal aliens as no country tolerates illegality.