COMING off the heels of Guyana’s largest-ever national budget, the Government of Guyana is turning its focus outward, seeking to harness the untapped potential of its diaspora and strengthening major international ties.

Guyana has received and approved more than 1,200 re-migrant applications in the past four years, and has built stronger ties with nations like France, the UAE, Qatar, the Dominican Republic, and Belize, bringing valuable human resources back home while strengthening the Guyanese passport internationally.

During his presentation of the national budget on Friday, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibilities for Finance and the Public Service Dr. Ashni Singh shared that not only rare record numbers of Guyanese seeking to return home, but Guyana has also enhanced its standing on the international stage.

“At the beginning of this term, we indicated our intent to involve the diaspora community in national development, and reverse the adverse changes to the re-migrant scheme, as their involvement is key to ensuring we maximize the full potential of our human resources,” he stated.

Since taking office in 2020, the current administration has taken robust steps to reconnect Guyana with its diaspora through various programmes. Recently, in September 2023, President Irfaan Ali engaged with the Guyanese Diaspora in America, particularly in Brooklyn and Queens. He outlined his vision for Guyana’s development, emphasizing national unity and the importance of the diaspora’s contributions to the country’s growth. Since then, the PPP administration has made significant strides in developing and reigniting international interest in Guyana.

As Minister Singh stated, “The government resuscitated the Diaspora Unit, and re-established stakeholder engagement to improve the services provided to the diaspora.” He further added that “There have been several engagements with the diaspora, including the hosting of a virtual diaspora conference in 2021, webinars on remigration and investment in 2023, and job fairs in New York, Trinidad, and Suriname in 2024 to harness the skills of members of the diaspora.” These engagements have increased interest in remigrating, and resulted in the approval of over 1,200 remigrant applications since 2021.

Guyanese across the diaspora are not the only ones with whom the government has been strengthening ties. In recent years, the government has taken steps to build relationships with larger, growing nations through new policies and greater involvement. “Our government has been unwavering in our commitment to preserving Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Guyana’s security, economic, and trade interests have shaped our foreign policy efforts, as well as our regional and global leadership positions across a range of key policy issues. Guyana remains committed to good neighbourliness, peaceful coexistence, and the unity of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace and Cooperation.” Minister Singh said.

Guyana has also made significant strides in international diplomacy. Minister Singh highlighted the opening of a new embassy in Qatar in 2023, and the establishment of diplomatic missions from the UAE, Qatar, the Dominican Republic, and Belize in Guyana. Looking ahead, Guyana is set to open a French embassy in 2025, making France the first EU country to establish a diplomatic presence in the country. These efforts have significantly strengthened the Guyanese passport, resulting in visa waivers for the UK, Singapore, Maldives, and the UAE, and allowing Guyanese to apply for a Schengen visa in-country for the first time, with France as the main destination.

According to Minister Singh, Guyana now has better international standing than ever before. All these steps have significantly improved Guyana’s visibility and voice on the world stage; particularly at forums such as the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). As Minister Singh explained, “Ours has been a clear and cogent voice on matters before the Security Council and on the wider multilateral agenda. Guyana’s work on the Council must therefore be seen not only as beneficial to the countries that are on the Council’s agenda but to the people of Guyana, who depend on the upholding of international rule to stave off threats to their own peace and security, and thus their sustainable development.”