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Bajan’s expulsion from Guyana a sign of an unfortunate trend

by the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy

The Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) has expressed deep disappointment over the recent deportation of Barbadian Construction worker, Mr. Roger Braithwaite, from Guyana on his arrival at the Timehri International Airport.  Upon cursory inquiry into this incident, the Institute’s preliminary conclusion is that Mr. Braithwaite’s deportation appears to be without legitimate cause and is perceived to be “retributive justice” for the deportation of a large number of Guyanese from Barbados in July 2005.

Like the Barbados deportations, the evidence in Mr. Braithwaite’s case suggests that he violated no law and did not threaten Guyana’s national security or public safety. Consequently, his expulsion seems to contravene CARICOM law.

The gratuitous deportation of CARICOM citizens by various CARICOM governments is a worrying trend that undermines the CSME and Caribbean unity. CGID again vigorously renews its call for CARICOM Heads of government to develop and implement a cohesive, obligatory protocol for admission of CARICOM citizens into CARICOM territories. They must also establish a mechanism to monitor its complete and proper implementation.  Until this is accomplished, these transgressions will continue throughout the region. The institute announced that it will make such representation to the CARICOM secretary-general.

The institute’s president, Mr. Rickford Burke, has written to Guyana’s president, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo, urging a swift investigation into the Braithwaite matter. In his letter, Burke said “The government of Guyana must take immediate action to remedy this situation. I am seriously concerned that a course of retaliation and counter-retaliation by immigration officers may spiral out of control and further disrupt the vital relations between Guyana and Barbados.”

The institute said it is irresponsible for governments to conveniently surrender immigration policy decision-making to immigration officers or to grant them carte blanche to nonchalantly make profound decisions on deportations. “Under the law such determinations are, and should be, properly vested in and executed by statutory and judicial authorities, CGID emphasized.

CGID said it also wished to place on public record that to date it has not been informed of the conclusions of an investigation, if indeed one was conducted, of the July 2005 deportation of Guyanese from Barbados. The Institute noted that both the governments of Guyana and Barbados seem to have dropped the ball on the deportations, thus kicking the issue further down the road. This is a failure that does not inspire confidence, the New York based group said.