–Dr. Jagdeo says, assures all Guyanese measures are in place to monitor what is taking place within Guyana borders

–Introduction of new ID card system to further strengthen security

THE presence of migrants within Guyana’s borders is under careful surveillance by the security agencies, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary and Guyana’s Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has said while assuring the public of the continuous efforts to ensure national security.

He said this during a press conference on Thursday at Freedom House, Georgetown.

While taking note of the public’s interest in the scale of the Venezuelan migrant population, Dr. Jagdeo said that the requisite agencies are actively tracking it and conducting intelligence-led operations.

“For a long time, it has been peddled that we are not aware of the magnitude of the presence of the Venezuelan migrants here and we are not paying enough attention to the national security threat that this poses to Guyana,” he said.

Dr. Jagdeo reminded the public of what the Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan said earlier this week and confirmed that the security agencies are actively monitoring Guyana’s borders.

In recent years, Guyana has seen an influx of migrants fleeing Venezuela due to the political and economic crisis.

Guyana’s multipronged approach sees collaboration among the ministry of health, the local police, and other regional and government authorities.

While much of the work being executed to ensure national security is ongoing and receiving high-level attention, the Vice-President firmly stated that the security strategies are confidential and cannot always be shared publicly.

“If you’re gathering intelligence, you don’t go and publish the intelligence you gathered in the newspapers or put it on social media,” he said, adding: “But I can assure you as he did [Brigadier Khan] we take the presence of the Venezuelan migrants in Guyana seriously.”

Moreover, the current oversight mechanism will be further strengthened, according to him, with the introduction of the new identification (ID) card system.

With the introduction of a high-security and modernised national ID card system, developed in partnership with a company from the United Arab Emirates and Germany, this will allow for precise tracking of both residents and non-residents, Dr. Jagdeo said.

Within a year, everyone will have one of two cards, Guyanese will have a card that is a different colour to indicate that they are a citizen of Guyana.

Foreign residents will have one, which will be a different colour and they will be required to carry that residency card with advanced security and biometric features.

Without this card, non-nationals will find it difficult to open bank accounts, access services, or obtain legal employment.

The ID card system will be integrated with a network of 3,000 to 4,000 security cameras to provide real-time monitoring capabilities across the country, he further disclosed.

He also stressed that while national security is a top priority, the government remains committed to treating migrants with compassion, particularly given Guyana’s own history of migration.