FOREIGN nationals who are living and working in the country’s mining districts are not permitted to own lands but are allowed to be part of mining syndicates, Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes said on Wednesday.

Broomes in an interview with Guyana Chronicle, made it clear that her government will not tolerate illegal foreigners working in the hinterland but recognised that in the case of Brazilians, many are being exploited by locals.

The Minister has received numerous complaints from Brazilian miners, alleging exploitation and she believes that through syndicates, those miners would be in a better position to resist exploitation.

“Foreign nationals cannot own mining properties…it is important for us to make that clear. Brazilians have lots of skills but there is a lot of exploitation…but the fact they can’t own properties, they use Guyanese to own land and invest heavily but then most times they are robbed.”

Broomes added that foreign nationals and more particularly Brazilians, who operate within the mining communities are often times charged more to operate on lands than locals. She explained that as a result of that level of exploitation, many of those foreign nationals return to their native land.

“Many of them have left their equipment and returned to Brazil…what they usually do is raid lands and so they go deep within the mining communities so it would be difficult for you to hear their machines and so on,” the Minister who was a former miner noted.
She made it clear that it is not a case where all foreign nationals operating in the mining industry are stationed in Guyana illegally, but noted that they have many challenges. In a bid to ensure that all in the industry can benefit, the Minister said, foreign nationals can be part of syndicates.

“They are being allowed to work on syndicates, but it doesn’t mean they can own the property. They will be subject to the same terms and conditions that currently exist for local miners. It will be an equal playing field,” Broomes added, while stressing that syndicates will open an avenue for the elimination of exploitation.

According to her, prior to now, Brazilians who represent the majority of foreign nationals operating in the gold mining industry, were fearful because of the level of harassment they received from local miners, who apparently were threatened by their presence.

“The language barrier is also an issue, and the lack of communication can also lend to other situations. There are instances of Trafficking-in-Persons (TIP), as well as Labour Trafficking. Within the syndicates, they have to be compliant, they have to follow the rules and regulations established and you’d see that barrier being broken,” the Minister stated.

Last Saturday, Brazilian miners operating within the Puruni mining area, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Region Seven called on Minister Broomes to provide equal opportunities for them to benefit.

At a forum geared at informing miners in that area about the benefits of syndicates, Minister Broomes said the opportunities being made available to small-scale miners are not limited to local miners but also to foreign nationals who have the requisite documentation to work here.

“Syndicates make provision for all…. This is not only for local miners… you too as Brazilians, or Venezuelans or wherever you are from can benefit. Once you are part of a syndicate; you will be treated equally,” the minister said as she explained that small miners in the Puruni area have been struggling for a number of years to access lands to mine.

She urged the Brazilians present at the forum to join the Puruni Mining Syndicate, while informing them that it is a safe way to prevent exploitation.

“… all must be treated equally; I am not here to hurt you, I don’t like the exploitation,” the minister said.

According to the Brazilians, some of whom have been living and working in Guyana for a number of years, they applied to the Ministry of Public Security, Department of Citizenship for work permits and all other documentation to work here, but the documentation is not provided though monies would have been paid.

“We go, we pay but we never get it…we get receipts from them but no permit is given to us. We don’t want to work here illegally, we want to follow the laws but they are giving us a hard time,” said the Brazilian national, who was supported by other Brazilian miners.
But Minister Broomes in response to the plea of the miners made it clear that syndicates would be able to ensure that all needed documentation is processed according to the regulations provided.