SEVERAL Guyanese are expected to submit applications to the authorities for the sponsorship of several Haitian nationals who have been detained here.
The Haitians, numbering seven adults and eight children, have been detained since May 26, 2017, following suspicions by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) that they were being trafficked. Several others were deported recently by the authorities.
Activist, Mark Jacobs’ told the media following a meeting on Wednesday afternoon with Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, that himself along with others made several recommendations to the minister, including that the sister CARICOM nationals are not deported; that they be released soon and that creole French speakers be placed at ports of entry across the country.
While noting that he could not disclose the full details of the meeting, Jacobs said that a number of persons have stepped in to sponsor the detained persons here and moves are afoot to pursue the application process. He said the application for sponsorship costs G$28,700 per person.
As it relates to the release of the Haitians, he said that the minister advised that the group meet with the Crime Chief to ascertain the immigration status of those detained. He noted too, that additional information has to be provided to the Ministry of Citizenship regarding the offer of sponsorship. In relation to residency of the detained foreigners, Jacobs said this was not agreed at during the meeting, as he noted that the humanitarian grounds’ surrounding the release of the detained persons is being pursued.
On Tuesday evening, the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), a member of the ruling Coalition government, crafted a petition which it plans to submit to the authorities regarding what it terms the “discriminatory treatment” meted out to Haitians by the GPF. The petition noted that the police have seized the passports and mobile phones of the detained Haitians, while their monetary valuables have been seized minus receipts. Over the years, a number of foreign nationals have moved to Guyana and requested naturalization status. These include a large number of Chinese and Brazilians, many of whom have set up businesses in various parts of the country.