President David Granger is not worried about the deportation of illegal immigrants under a Donald Trump administration as long as government is provided with enough information to handle those who may have committed violent crimes.
Asked on ‘The Public Interest’ last week if he were concerned about Trump’s pledge to deport illegal immigrants, Granger stressed that such a policy would not be specific to Trump.
“That is not a Trump policy. No country, tolerates illegality and if there are abuses it is quite within the right of a sovereign state to minimise the impact of those abuses on the host country,” he explained.
He further stated that what was necessary was for Guyana to communicate effectively with the United States government so the country is notified of the deportations of those person who would have been involved in committing violent crimes.
This notification is expected to grant time to authorities who don’t have the capability to build resources to manage them when they return.
“We don’t have the capability, as you know,” Granger said adding that his administration just “wants to be better prepared.” The President also maintained that it was too soon to speak about the impact of Trump policies on Guyana or the Caribbean as advice may sway the position of the president-elect.
Reminded that Trump had been elected on a platform, Granger said, “I am a politician. Politics is not an exact science… You may see, when he receives advice from his policy makers in Washington, you will see a modification in some of those policies.
“He is a businessman, he is known as a tycoon, as a magnate. If he can help to stimulate business in the Caribbean, in Guyana, I am for it. I would like to see more United States/North American investors come in to Guyana to help us in our green energy programme, in our mining, in manufacturing. If that is the type of businessman he is, I would welcome that investment from the United States,” President Granger stated.
He however stressed that it is not “intelligent for any state to base its economic policy on emigration” arguing instead that the Caribbean should aim at looking at its resources and developing a type of economic policy which makes better use of its talented human resources.”
Granger and his administration have repeatedly called for overseas-based Guyanese to return and invest in Guyana and he repeated that. “I wish some of them would return and help to develop the country. The Caribbean will benefit from them returning,” he said.
