GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Nov 17, CMC -An opposition legislator is asking the Guyana government to state what measures are in place to monitor foreigners entering the country illegal.
“Regions 1, 2, and 7 continue to experience significant cross-border movement by migrant populations entering through riverine and trail-based routes. These areas include numerous unmanned or partially monitored channels, raising security concerns and questions about the State’s capacity to track undocumented inflows and maintain orderly migration management,” said the opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) spokesman on home affairs, Sherod Duncan
Duncan’s question has been filed with the the Clerk of the National Assembly for the government to answer at the next sitting, a date for which has not yet been disclosed.
It follows last month’s deadly bombing at a gas station that killed six-year-old Sorya Bourne and caused injury to three others.
The seven people implicated in the bombing are before the courts here on terrorism related charges.
The Guyana Police Force, in a statement, have named them as Guyanese 44 year-old Wayne Corriea, 51-year-old Ramesh Pramdeo; and 33-year-old Krystal LaCruz and the four Venezuelans – 33-year-old Daniel Alexander Ramirez Podeomo, 33-year-old Jennifer Rodriguez, 27-year-old Johnny Boodram, and 44-year-old Alexander Bettancourt .
Podeomo was captured on CCTV camera, and was arrested two days later, following a nationwide manhunt.
In his question, Duncan wants the government to state how many riverine entry and exit points are monitored daily, and by which agencies.
He is aso seeking an answas to what systems are in place for detecting or monitoring migrant movement along unstaffed or irregular crossings and whether Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond can indicate what manpower and asset shortages have been identified by the Joint Services in Regions 1 (Barima-Waini), Region 2 (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and Region 7 (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
The opposition legislator is also the government to indicate whether the electronic identification (e-ID) system is or will be used to determine lawful residency status for migrants, under what specific legislation is such use authorised, and what appeal or review mechanisms exist for migrants denied residency or services as a result of e-ID data.
He said that, “government announcements indicate that the e-ID system will be used to determine or verify residency status for migrants. However, the parliament has not approved any primary legislation authorising such use, and no appeals mechanism has been disclosed for migrants adversely affected by e-ID-based decisions.”
The Data Identity Card Act provides for the registration of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and non-CARICOM nationals but, like the Data Protection Act, it has not been operationalised although several government ministries have instructed their staff to register when the team from the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) visits.
CMC/gt/ir/2025