General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) Norris Witter said on Monday that citizens have been leaving to endure harsh conditions in other territories like Barbados because they see no hope here.
As undocumented Guyanese nationals ponder an uncertain future in the sister Caricom territory, Witter issued a call for government to start taking more responsibility for the welfare of citizens.
In addition to those there illegally, Guyanese who have resided in Barbados legally are now being faced with delays in having their work permits renewed and are also filled with uncertainty as to what their fate would be. Reports out of Barbados have indicated a sense of “quiet anxiety” among the Guyanese population. Last weekend President Bharrat Jagdeo raised the matter of the treatment of Caricom nationals by Barbados in particular at a special Caricom meeting called to address the financial crisis. Jagdeo last week said he would attend the meeting especially since he felt that the rights of his people need to be protected. This came in the wake of the May 5 announcement by Barbadian Prime Minister David Thompson that his cabinet intended to clamp down on undocumented Caricom nationals.
At a press conference on Monday, Witter told reporters that he understood that the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) was still a work in progress and the realization of many of its ideals would take some time. Touching directly of the predicament of Guyanese who have settled illegally in not only Barbados, Witter said this was the position since Guyana has reached a state of hopelessness. “People are leaving and enduring a lot of things because they see no hope of a good future in Guyana,” he said. He emphasized too that with the economic situation the world over, many countries will begin to follow the pattern Barbados has started and so Guyana would begin to receive an influx very shortly. Against this background, he urged that it was time for government to stop “the blame game. It is time that the government of this country starts taking responsibility for the welfare of its citizens. Stop blaming the US and every other country.” Meanwhile, Witter said the people of Guyana also have a role to play in ensuring that the government addresses their welfare. “And if the government don’t see to it that it is addressed then you need to take the necessary action to ensure this is done,” he urged.
Two members of Parliament, from the Alliance for Change (AFC) and Guyana Action Party/Rise Organise and Rebuild (GAP/ ROAR) recently called for improvements at home so as to encourage Guyanese to stay here.
