Be mindful, inclusive and compassionate to refugees, migrants
Cecilie Becker, Head of the UNHCR Office in Guyana
Cecilie Becker, Head of the UNHCR Office in Guyana

–Head of UNHCR’s Guyana office urges

WITH Guyana becoming a host country to thousands of refugees and migrants who have fled the economic crisis and growing political discontent in Venezuela, Cecilie Becker, Head of the National Office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Guyana, is appealing to Guyanese to give them the support they need to get on their feet.

In an interview with this newspaper on Sunday, Becker explained that refugees and migrants face many hardships, from the time they flee their homes to when they arrive in a host country.

“Refugees, if they have the opportunity, they would stay in their home country. They are not here voluntarily; they are here because they have been compelled to leave behind their loved ones; leave behind their personal belongings,” she said.

She added, “The host countries who are receiving the refugees when they are coming in, the more understanding they get of the reason why some people are forced to flee, whether it be prosecution or due to internal conflict, it helps bring up tolerance, understanding and broader humanitarian perspective, because, not everyone understands why these people are coming into their country.”

Becker noted that the lack of knowledge bout who are refugees and some of their challenges makes it even more difficult for them to adjust. While noting that the information is accessible, she said that the host population must become aware and be open-minded and inclusive of the humanitarian situation.

“Overall, what we would like from the host population is for them to be open-minded; be inclusive, and have refugees included in their day-to-day activities,” she said, adding: “If you go to school with somebody who is here because of a situation in their home country, give them a hand. Introduce them; take them to show your friends and include them.”

Patrons participating in the interactive exhibition on refugees at the YMCA on Sunday

She noted that providing assistance to refugees is not just the work of the organisation or the government, hence, support is needed from all, and everyone can help in one way or another.

“We (the UNHCR) are here to support the government in providing the support to the people who are coming into Guyana. I think that having everyone understand just a little bit of what it entails to be a refugee, whether you are child, whether you are a youth, whether you are an adult, it will help to give the refugee who come into the country an easier day. They are already facing a lot of barriers in terms of languages,” the UNHCR official emphasised.

According to the UNHCR, Guyana’s immigration officials in Region One (Barima-Waini) have registered and documented over 200 Venezuelan refugees and migrants, and issued government registration certificates to them.

This certificate incorporates a legal-stay permit, which is issued and renewed by the Government of Guyana. This permit allows those individuals the chance to not just legally stay in Guyana, but also to work, earn and educate themselves.

Meanwhile, in a bid to educate the Guyanese populace on the life of refugees, and to shed some light on the UNHCR’s work in Guyana, the organization on Sunday hosted an interactive exhibition in observance of World Refugee Day, which is celebrated globally on June 20 each year.

The exhibition, which was held at the YMCA on Thomas Lands, provided extensive information about the organisation’s work in Guyana and other parts of the world. Those who visited also had an opportunity to learn about the refugees, and some of the challenges they face.

“We have six stations; it walks you through the stage of a refugee, from the time the person flees their country, to crossing the border and coming into a new country and facing different challenges, and to finding solutions. So, this is what the exhibition is about,” Becker said.

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