I’m interested in learning what, specifically, President Bharrat Jagdeo is accusing the Barbadians of being “un-CARICOM-like” about? Is it that they intend to rid their country of thousands of ILLEGAL immigrants? Should every other CARICOM country not take a page out of Barbados’ book on this issue?
Or is he referring to their apparently discriminatory behaviour against legal immigrants in operationalizing this policy?
I hope it is the latter as I would not want the leader of my country to be regionally promoting illegality, bullyism and wrongdoing which is what the illegals living in Barbados are engaging in.
On a related note I have noted that there are quite a few influential persons here in Guyana who seem to think that because Barbadians are treated hospitably when they come to Guyana that that is reason enough for the Barbadian government being obliged to accept the thousands of Guyanese illegals living there. This line of argument is unbelievably inane from persons who are supposed to be of reason and good sense. Illegals are illegals are illegals, wherever they are.
If there are 4 or 5 or 20 or more Barbadian illegals in Guyana then they must get themselves regularised or be deported. Simple. All Guyanese and other illegals in Barbados must get themselves regularised as per the instruction of the Barbadian government and if they are not then they must either return home or move to a country where they will be permitted to live legally.
Imran, now you’re beginning to sound like Mabel, on the other side of the fence, ‘busing down’ Shirley Bugdeo about who is more right or wrong.
No doubt Prezzie has put his foot in his mouth here (again!), but let’s go a few steps forward, beyond the empty words.
Let’s venture a guess about how many illegal Guyanese are there, and therefore about how many are likely to be deported over the coming weeks. A few (maybe 15-20%) will simply proceed to live ilegally somewhere else, including Surinam. For the vast majority, however, what are the next steps? Where are the jobs? What is the Social Services Ministry doing to ensure they blend into society and can be self-sustaining?
Of course, those are rhetorical questions – we all know that what will happen is NOTHING – the Pee Pee Pee will hope that like everything else, this too shall pass. And then we’ll start seeing the effects of this wholesale deportation, including further increases in ‘sensational’ crime.
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It’s sad that no one here is calling on the gov’t to do more to keep Guyanese home.
My bad, I just read a piece with GAP/ROAR’s representative Everall Franklin saying more needs to be done.
@bakannal. The voices of reason are beginning to emerge. Franklin, some of what Sheila Holder was quoted as saying in yesterday’s SN and MA Bacchus (who I believe was once a PNC candidate) in today’s SN letter section.
This is a very tricky situation for President Jagdeo to handle. He can’t be too aggressive with PM Thompson because if he is Thompson is very likely to shoot back “why don’t you take care of your people and keep them in Guyana so they don’t have to run to other countries?”.
Locally as well it is only a matter of time before the opposition begins to chirp incessantly about people being mistreated in Barbados because they can’t live fruitful and decent lives here.
I have seen how some Guyanese in Barbados live and it has left me wondering what could have been their condition here before leaving? I shudder to think it was any worse. The living in fowl pen-like conditions is not as far-fetched as people want you to believe.
Imram,
“Illegal is illegal is illegal” — only if you don’t believe in the concept of Caribbean unity. Cause you get a l’il golf course on yur island, yuh better than dem others? Pleeeze boy.