137 Guyanese deported from U.S. in 2017

ONE-hundred-and-thirty-seven Guyanese were deported from the United States in 2017, according to the 2017 Enforcement and Removal Operation (ERO) Report by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The report states that ERO identifies, arrests, and removes aliens who present a danger to national security or a threat to public safety, or who otherwise undermine border control and the integrity of the U.S. immigration system. The report, which was released on ICE’s website earlier this week, highlights that this figure of 137 for 2017 represents an increase from 2016 when only 93 Guyanese were deported. The report did not provide an analysis of each country.

In 2016 more than 72, 000 non-Immigrant and 7,000 Immigrant visas were issued to Guyanese by the U.S. Embassy here. The figures for 2017 has not been revealed. U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway, had said that the increase in visas being issued locally was a result of improved economic conditions in the country. Luckily, only a very small percentage of Guyanese abuse their visas by staying illegally,” the U.S. Ambassador had said at the U.S.’s 241st Independence Day celebration in Georgetown last year.

Meanwhile, Haiti topped the list of the highest number of deportations for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nationals with 5,578 Haitians being deported in 2017. This is compared to the 310 that was deported in 2016. Jamaica was second for the Caribbean with 782 being deported in 2017, compared to 787 in 2016, while Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) had the same amount deported for the two years – 128.

In an interview with News Source, Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown, Amanda Cauldwell, shared that the U.S. Embassy informs the Government of Guyana in advance of all deportations. She noted too that variations in the number of deportees over the years are not unusual.

Further, the public affairs officer said that: “I can’t comment on specific cases, but noting that all deportees’ cases were handled appropriately under U.S. law, and all individuals were afforded due process under our judicial system. This includes things like the right to be represented by an attorney, the right to contest charges of deportation, and many other procedural protections.”

Reintegration of deportees into the country has been one of the issues associated with deportation. There is a mechanism which seeks to facilitate reintegration into the country, lead by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Guyana became a member state of the IOM in 2011, after having observer status for several years. Since then,the IOM has implemented several projects in various fields, such as: promotion of the involvement of the diaspora in Guyana´s development; strengthening of security mechanisms for the enhancement of migration management in Guyana; migration and health promotion; Assisted Voluntary Return; and Reintegration (AVRR) programmes, which coordinate returns and reintegration from Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands. The IOM Mission in Guyana also serves as a Regional Coordination Office for the Caribbean, providing logistical and coordination support to country missions.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.