Three months later, Home Affairs Ministry yet to provide information on Venezuelan settlement

May 27, 2025 News

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Kaieteur News- With approximately 2,403 Venezuelan migrants entering Guyana on a monthly basis concerns continue to be raised as to where most of them have settled and government has been tight-lipped on its earlier plans to establish a settlement for them on the outskirts of Mabaruma, Region One.

Earlier this month, Stabroek News reported that a total of 2,403 Venezuelan migrants entered Guyana monthly between January 2024 and April 20, 2025, according to records from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The figure, the newspaper reported was disclosed in Parliament in response to questions posed by APNU+AFC Member of Parliament Tabitha Sarabo-Halley.

According to Stabroek News, Region 1 (Barima-Waini) continues to see the highest inflow, with the border village of Morawhanna recording a total of 452 Venezuelan over the period. Region 7 (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), specifically through the ports of Eteringbang and Bartica, saw the highest overall intake, receiving a total of 1,242 migrants for the period. Region 9’s Lethem recorded 440 Venezuelan arrivals, while Region 2 (Charity) reported a total of 190 migrants. Georgetown, in Region 4, recorded 79 Venezuelan migrants during the period. Regions 3 (Parika), 5, 6, 8, and 10 reported no new arrivals during the same timeframe. Also, only recently Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud disclosed some 100,000 persons of direct or indirect Venezuelan ancestry are currently in Guyana.

Meanwhile, it has been three months since Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn informed the House via a written response that the Government of Guyana has established a settlement for Venezuelan immigrants on the outskirts of Mabaruma. There has since been no further information provided even though this publication has reached out to the Minister.

On February 17, 2025, Member of Parliament Tabitha Sarabo-Halley asked the minister to tell the House about the arrangements made for the Venezuelan immigrants present in Guyana. In his written response, he said that the government has established a settlement near to Mabaruma, “called Farm Corps.”

This publication contacted the minister to obtain further information as to when the settlement was established, how are the occupants determined and the current population. The minister said he would locate the information and provide it. Some days later, the Minister was again approached on the matter and he promised to provide the information and even noted contact information. The information is yet to be provided to this publication.

Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs Amanza Walton-Desir was also contacted on February 17 subsequent to the Minister’s response to ascertain if she was aware of such a settlement and what information she could provide. She told this publication via WhatsApp that “I’m digging myself for info,” as she was not aware it existed. Research by this publication on the said settlement yielded no results.

It was reported by this publication back in July 2018 that then Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, said plans were in motion for the establishment of a homestead settlement area for the 260 confirmed Venezuelans, who were occupying areas in Barima-Waini (Region One). Felix said then that the resettlement area will allow the Venezuelans to be self-reliant. “It is intended that we [will] develop something like a homestead where families are accumulated and eventually, we can move them into cash crop farming. We can encourage them so that in the first instance, they can feed themselves, and if they have surpluses, they can sell. We are looking at crops for their sustenance and their immediate needs. Once you get that going, then the next thing is to guide them into areas in which they can sustain themselves. The immediate outcome is that we want to see them properly settled and they must be able to sustain themselves…,” he said.

The Alliance For Change (AFC) again recently raised concern over the number of Venezuelan migrants in the country, suggesting that the electoral process could also be compromised. The AFC’s concerns were heightened following a sitting of Parliament where Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn could not verify the figure that he had presented to the Parliament in relation to the number of migrants here.

Benn initially told the House that there are only four regions in Guyana that have a total of just over 15,000 Venezuelan migrants. However, he later withdrew that figure. In a statement, the AFC had said that it became even more suspicious because a release from the Government last year stated that well over 40,000 Venezuelans are here. The statement said that in addition, in December, the Government noted a growing number of Venezuelan migrants in Linden, Region 10 although the Home Affairs Minister told the National Assembly that migrants are only present in Regions 1, 2, 4 and 8.

AFC Chairman, David Patterson had told reporters that while on the face of it, it seems as a mistake on the part of the Minister, the exact information was recently featured at a symposium organized by University of Guyana. “The AFC is deeply concerned that in an election year, where the vast majority of Guyanese has expressed concerns about the bloated Voter’s electoral list and the rumours that thousands of Venezuelans whether entitled or not has been included on the GECOM list, that the agency task with monitoring and regulating this group cannot provide a factual account of the persons in the country,” Patterson said.

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• Home Affairs, information, Mabaruma, provide, Venezuelan Settlement

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