Govt. aiding and abetting human smuggling and trafficking

Aug 05, 2019 News

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Int’l investigation required immediately – Ramson

The recent revelations of the large number of Haitians and Cubans arriving legally in Guyana, those leaving and the noticeable absence of their presence in communities is more than enough reason for there to be conclusive evidence that there is a huge racket in human smuggling and trafficking.
Attorney-at-law Charles Ramson, Jr, in expressing concerns yesterday, following days of reports of investigations by Kaieteur News, was convinced that the matter has been in the public’s domain too long without a holistic response from the authorities and the Coalition Government by extension.
“What is astonishing is that the government knew as early as 2017 when the issue was raised in the Foreign Affairs Sectoral Committee of Parliament when Minister (of Citizenship Winston) Felix has said that in 2017 almost 4,000 Haitians arrived in Guyana but only 291 were on record as leaving. He further stated that Cayenne “is the destination. I know that”.
Ramson noted that the minister was able to nonetheless mysteriously conclude that there was no trafficking in persons, something that Government has taken seriously.

“He further went on to say that Venezuelans are more a target for human trafficking. The question is what was the government’s response with this knowledge two years ago? What is the government’s policy? Human trafficking and smuggling are serious international crimes and there are international United Nations protocols which countries sign on to as recognition of the gravity of this type of activity.”
Ramson was insistent that the government cannot simply wash its hands of the problems and say that the borders are long and porous and that Haiti is a CARICOM country.
“Since Minister Felix admits that he knows that they are going to Cayenne which is two countries away from Guyana then why don’t the Haitians go directly to Suriname which is closer? Suriname is a CARICOM country just like Guyana and has long porous borders just like Guyana yet they find Guyana a preferred pathway. There should have been an investigation since 2017.”
Ramson pointed out that human trafficking and smuggling require many actors along the transit points and it is the government’s responsibility to disrupt human exploitation.
“The government’s statement let alone their inaction is spurious and weak which aids and abets human smuggling and trafficking.”
The issue is threatening to take centre stage pushing the no-confidence motion of December 21st and its subsequent fallouts to the back burner.
For sometime now, the Opposition has been complaining of a large number of foreign nationals including the Cubans and Haitians entering Guyana with suspicions that many of them were remaining.
Under arrangements, Cubans and Haitians can travel to Guyana under conditions to Guyana.
The Cubans are not required to visit to come. They have capitalized on that to ignite a booming trade in the city with especially the Chinese stores.
They were returning.
However, with the Haitians, it became evident that something else has been happening.
For more than seven months, scores of Haitians have been coming here daily.
The Opposition believed that they are being registered by the Government as part of a plan to boost their supporters in preparations for elections.
However, the Coalition has denied this and said the Haitians are leaving for elsewhere.
Since January, almost 9,000 Haitians entered Guyana with investigations by Kaieteur News finding that less than one percent or 13 of them returned on the Copa Airlines that they had been confirmed on leave.
It was discovered that Guyana was being, in a massive way, used a smuggling route for the Haitians to especially Brazil.
While a number of Haitians daily would use the flights from Ogle to Lethem, Region 9, a town that borders with Brazil, the rest were travelling in minibuses along the Linden/Lethem trail.
There are numerous photos of them sometime walking along bad patches of the trail.
Insiders say that the smuggling ring has been providing them with much need dollars at a time when not much business is happening.
It reportedly involved Immigration personnel at the airport, taxi and bus drivers, Haitians and local facilitators.
A number of city guest houses and private residences as well as bars in Lethem are involved.
Officials said that the issue is clearly one of national security and abuse of the systems at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport by a few, with some blessings from Government officials.
The reports have been generating anger in some quarters who accuse the Opposition of fueling a race agenda, as Cubans and Chinese are not being targeted.
However, it was pointed out that it was largely the Haitians who were not leaving and it was not a case of them staying, but rather an issue of them being smuggled by persons who have clout at the Timehri airport.
The Opposition has called for a probe of the Immigration Department.

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