CABINET Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, yesterday said the Government has not yet decided whether it is necessary to provide shelter for the Guyanese deportees arriving here from the United States.

He told his regular post-Cabinet news briefing at the Office of the President he was not aware that some of the deportees are being rejected by relatives and have limited or no finances.

He said too that he had not yet received a report from the local authorities monitoring the situation. These authorities include the Police and the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security.

Luncheon noted that there seemed to be "this sentiment out there that they (the deportees) all seem to be abandoned people".

He said family members of some of the deportees were present to welcome the ex-criminals when they arrived in Guyana Tuesday.

Fifteen deportees arrived here Tuesday from the U.S. under tight security at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.

A large media contingent and curious onlookers were at the airport for the arrival of what was reported to be the largest batch of deportees landing here.

The deportees were flown in on a specially chartered aircraft and were whisked away from the airport tarmac by Policemen in two mini-buses to Police headquarters in Georgetown where they were questioned and fingerprinted.

Fourteen arrived on a small white specially chartered aircraft and the other deportee landed shortly before on a North American Airlines commercial flight.

Luncheon told reporters that whatever is implemented in terms of tracking and monitoring the deportees, it should not be done in a way to flout their civil liberties and rights.

"I think the process that is going to be put in place will depend a lot on the willing participation of the deportees themselves."

"...I am not aware of this rejection by families and such like," he said.

He said "some rejections" have taken place with some deportees but the Government intends to use the Department of Human Services and Social Security to attempt to address those concerns.

"...I believe there is a safety net available through the resources of the Department of Human Services and Social Security," he said, referring to possible assistance that might be given to the deportees.

An official from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security said no officer there had met the deportees since their arrival here.

It is understood that the ministry's intervention, in terms of meeting the deportees and maybe trying to see what sort of assistance can be offered those who have no place to stay or nowhere to go, will have to be at the invitation of the Home Affairs Ministry.

Luncheon reported that the deportees, since their arrival here, were "never in custody", contrary to public speculation.

The deportees, he said, were taken to Police headquarters at Eve Leary, Georgetown shortly after arrival at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport as part of the process of collecting information from them.

The 14 deportees on the Tuesday charter flight were: Julian Persaud, convicted for assault; George Humphrey - controlled substance (drugs); Shameer Yasin - drugs; Sylvester Chan - drugs; Dexter Forte - possession of weapon with intent; Sean Gravesande - drugs; Leon Singh drugs; Herman Bharratt - rape; Vernon Ranchurejee - assault; Mark Henry - drugs; Harnanan Mohabir - robbery; Corwin Douglas - robbery; Jonathan King - aggravated assault; and George Benson, also known as Elliot Sanderson - dangerous drugs.

These are among the 113 confirmed by the Guyana Government as Guyanese and for whom travel documents were issued.

The return of the deportees comes after continuous efforts by the Government of Guyana to have all would-be deportees in the U.S. positively identified as Guyanese.

U.S. Ambassador, Mr. Ronald Godard told a news conference Monday he is gratified at the manner in which the Guyana Government has responded to the deportees issue.

He also said his Government is willing to offer "law enforcement cooperation and some technical assistance (since) those being deported will require some additional monitoring".

"There is little tolerance from my authorities for the continued presence of criminals who have served their terms to remain in the United Stated. They should be returned, quite appropriately, to the country of origin," the U.S. Ambassador told reporters.

Guyana and the U.S. are working towards resolving the longstanding "deportees issues".

Godard said Guyana and the U.S. are "getting closer" to resolving the deportees issue which on October 10 led the U.S. to stop issuing non-immigrant visas to, initially, government functionaries, their employees and families.

The ban was issued after Guyana did not meet the deadline set by the U.S. for providing travel documents for the 100-plus deportees it wants to ship here.