ON February 25, 2020, twenty foreigners were placed before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, having been charged with illegal departure from Guyana.

Five of those charged were Cubans, two females and three males.
The charge alleged that, on February 22, 2020, at Takutu, Lethem, Rupununi, they all departed Guyana illegally without presenting themselves to an immigration officer.
The Cuban nationals pleaded guilty to the charge.

Information was provided by the prosecutor to the court that, on the day in question, the Cuban nationals were arrested by ranks of region 9, after they were caught accessing the Takutu Bridge at a point away from the legal checkpoint. Their passports were examined and it was observed that the defendants had no immigration stamps in their passports giving them permission to leave Guyana. As a result, the Cuban nationals were escorted to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Eve Leary where investigations were conducted. The Central Immigration Passport Office was contacted where it was identified that the Cuban Nationals legally entered Guyana on February 21, 2020 through the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and were granted one month’s stay.

When asked about their alleged act, they said that they had no knowledge that they had to present themselves to an immigration officer when departing from Guyana to go to Brazil.
Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan gave the Cuban nationals an ultimatum which stated that they must each pay a fine of $20,000 or be imprisoned for eight weeks and be escorted to the nearest port of exit after paying their fine or serving their time.
Fifteen Haitians, six females and nine males, were the other foreigners who appeared before the Chief Magistrate.

The charge alleged that, on February 23, 2020, at Takutu, Lethem, Rupununi, they all departed Guyana illegally, that is, ‘without presenting themselves to an immigration officer’.
The Haitian nationals pleaded guilty to the charge.

Information was provided by the prosecutor to the court that, on the day in question, the Haitian nationals were arrested by police ranks of region nine. They were caught crossing the Takutu Bridge in Lethem at a point away from the legal checkpoint. Their passports were examined and it was observed that the Haitian nationals had no immigration stamps in their passports giving them permission to leave Guyana. As a result, the Haitian nationals were escorted to CID Headquarters, via a bus, where investigations were carried out. Contact was made with Central Immigration Passport Office where it was verified that the Haitian nationals had legally entered Guyana on February 22, 2020, via the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and were granted six months’ stay.

When asked about their alleged act, they said that they had no knowledge that they had to present themselves to an immigration officer to leave Guyana to go to Brazil and that they were sorry.

Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan gave the Haitian nationals an ultimatum which stated that they were required to pay a fine of $20,000 each or have eight weeks of imprisonment and be escorted to the nearest port of exit after paying their fine or serving their time.