Deportee issue with US still not settled
… Government awaiting response on MOU
by Wendella Davidson
Guyana Chronicle
July 29, 2003
THE Government of Guyana (GOG) is awaiting a response from the United States Department of State to the re-submitted Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that addresses in detail the conditions of return by deportees to this country.
The Americans in response to an initial MOU, dealt exclusively with only matters relating to the return of the deportees and ignored the social and legal issues.
They also failed to address the issue of providing the deportees with some opportunity to access resources they had in America and was accessible to them, which the Guyana Government had raised, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon said in an invited comment to the Chronicle.
He noted that while the Government does not believe that their engagements with the Americans would stem the influx of deportees being returned here, stringent efforts are being made to implement the MOU, including the clauses they feel would go a far way towards ameliorating the conditions of the deportees.
According to Dr Luncheon, many deportees have shown how uncharitable the decision and the timeframe within which the decision to deport them was given effect, has been.
Also, many have shown that the possibility exists, whereby through drawing on resources available to them in North America, their involuntary stay here will not be as difficult and onerous as is presently.
On November 20, 2001, 14 deportees, the first and largest batch of deportees to have landed here at that time, arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport from the United States of America (USA), under tight security.
Five Days later, another batch number 15 were also returned. In both instances the deportees all of whom have served time in US jails for varying offences, were transported on a specially chartered aircraft.
Their return followed a concerted effort by the Guyana Government to have them positively identified as Guyanese nationals. The failure to met a deadline set by the US, resulted in a ban placed on the issuing of US non-immigrant visas to Government officials and their immediate families.
The ban was lifted subsequently.
Since 2001, there has been a steady flow of deportees being returned here.
Last year too, following extensive discussions between officials of the Guyana Embassy in Washington and the US Department of State, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it was in receipt of detailed information pertaining to the entitlements of deportees.
This included that persons being deported, with the exception of those whose assets were seized in connection with a criminal conviction may transfer their assets from the United States to Guyana.
The information forwarded by the US Department of State stated too, that deportees can receive Social Security retirement and disability benefits. However, for wives, widows and children of deportees to receive dependent and survivor benefits in Guyana, the deportees had to be living in the United States for a minimum of five years.
The eligibility for Social Security benefits requires a minimum of 40 quarters of covered work. Individuals are normally eligible to obtain their benefits when attain the age of 67 years.
