Deportees to Guyana from North America on the increase
Guyana Chronicle
February 22, 2004
(GINA) - STATISTICS have shown that there continues to be a consistent influx of deportees from North America to Guyana over the last seven years. Between 1997 and 2003, 1,414 people have been deported to Guyana from North America.
One thousand, two hundred and thirty five of these persons were deported from the United States on a number of breaches, categorised as criminal and immigration. A total of 179 people have been deported from Canada during the same time.
As it relates to the United States, there has been a steady and consistent increase in the number of persons being deported for both criminal and immigration offences. However, as it relates to deportees from Canada, 12 persons have been deported for criminal offences in 2003 as compared to 38 in 2002 and eight in 2001.
For both countries, deportations for immigration breaches have been outweighed by those of a criminal nature, except in 2003 in Canada, where 14 immigration offenders were deported as compared with 12 criminal offenders.
Last year, President Bharrat Jagdeo met with Deputy Secretary of State in the Bush Administration, Richard Armitage where the issue of deportees was discussed. That meeting was regarded as successful as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed. The MOU addresses all the issues concerning deportees from the United States to Guyana. President Jagdeo had requested assistance from the US Government for the rehabilitation of deportees once they return to Guyana.
A detailed breakdown of the figure is as follows:
The United States of America
|
Year
|
CB
|
IB
|
Total
|
| 1997 |
90 |
62 |
161 |
| 1998 |
113 |
63 |
176 |
| 1999 |
101 |
40 |
141 |
| 2000 |
49 |
48 |
97 |
| 2001 |
108 |
26 |
134 |
| 2002 |
179 |
58 |
237 |
| 2003 |
158 |
131 |
289 |
|
807 |
428 |
1235 |
Canada
|
Year
|
CB
|
IB
|
Total
|
| 1997 |
12 |
12 |
24 |
| 1998 |
6 |
15 |
21 |
| 1999 |
14 |
11 |
25 |
| 2000 |
7 |
8 |
15 |
| 2001 |
8 |
15 |
23 |
| 2002 |
38 |
7 |
45 |
| 2003 |
12 |
14 |
26 |
|
97 |
82 |
179 |
Note: CB – Criminal Breaches
IB - Immigration Breaches