Latest update November 26th, 2024 1:00 AM
Guyana is indeed a gateway for Haitians… 221 arrive in 3 days, none left
The influx of Haitians, without any clear actions from the Coalition Government, continued yesterday with 94 of the nationals arriving via the Copa Airline flight.
A Haitian woman with her baggage at the airport
One of the organizer directing a Haitian women to a waiting minibus.
As of yesterday, there has not been an official statement from the Government since Kaieteur News broke the story earlier this week.
Since January, more than 8,600 of the citizens of that country have been coming to Guyana.
While there have been tickets confirmed for the Haitians to return home, more than 99 percent were no-shows for the Copa flights which connect through Panama to Haiti.
From all indications the door has been thrown wide open with Haitians and locals both working together to pick up the arriving passengers.
Government has not said it has taken a policy to accept all Haitians. Most of Guyana is in the dark to what is happening.
Haiti has been ravaged by a number of natural disasters which led to CARICOM countries, including Guyana, relaxing immigration regulations to allow skilled Haitian workers and other professionals to enter CARICOM.
The nationals are allowed an automatic six months on entry to Guyana.
Reportedly, a special desk has been set up at the Arrivals area at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
The Haitians are being collected by persons who have their photos in their phones.
They are clandestinely then taken to various spots around the city and later moved.
There are no explanations for what exactly is happening to them afterwards. Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix earlier this week said that the majority of the Haitians leave Guyana for Suriname, Brazil and French Guiana.
From all indications, the arrival of the Haitians and their subsequent movement from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) came with the collusion of airport staffers including Immigration officers, taxi drivers, and even police ranks stationed there.
Persons working at the airport have admitted that the operations have been well-organised involving several persons and with the blessings of likely Government officials.
During the last seven months, 13 Haitians returned on Copa flights.
On Thursday, 25th July, 18 persons confirmed intentions to return home. On the Copa flight, no one turned up. The next day, 78 persons were scheduled. Only one person went back.
On Tuesday, 30th July, 87 Haitians who came to Guyana booked to return home – one went back.
There was none leaving Thursday.
However, 83 Haitians entered Guyana that day. No one booked to leave.
At the airport, reporters saw the persons had different minibuses to pick up the passengers. There were also a number of different persons who were dealing with the arriving passengers, which again included women and children.
The Haitians and a number of Guyanese were openly hostile to reporters questioning why they were taking photos.
One man, who appeared to be a minibus driver, threatened a reporter of Kaieteur News.
A police officer, who seemed not concerned with the scores of Haitians who were coming in under questionable circumstances, was more troubled about the photos being taken by reporters of Kaieteur News.
He was asked to explain what sections of the laws were being broken.
He was one of the same policemen who was there on Tuesday when more than 40 Haitians entered Guyana, around 2pm via a Copa Airlines flight.
The Opposition has been accusing Government of bringing in Haitians and registering them in time for early general elections, which is due in months.
The Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, this week called for an investigation of the Immigration Department over the issue.
Guyana is facing early elections after a shock no-confidence motion by the Opposition against the four-year-old Coalition Government was carried. Issues like the Haitian arrivals have been especially burning ones for the Opposition, which lost their 2015 elections after 23 years in power.
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