Thousand of Guyanese nationals might be eligible to receive
citizenship in Barbados under the amnesty which has been offered to illegal
CARICOM nationals.
The amnesty which is expected to last for six months starting
June 1st 2009 to December, 2009, has been criticize in the
media in Guyana and openly by one CARICOM leader who believes
the steps taken by Barbados is not right, as Vincentian
nationals in Barbados living illegally might be affected. Dr.
Ralph Gonsalves has threatened to withdraw his country as a member of
the CARICOM states.
Many illegal nationals who do not satisfy the criteria metered
out by the Barbadian Prime Minister are afraid of being sent
back to Guyana and other CARICOM nations at the end of the
amnesty period.
One the other hand many Guyanese and other CARICOM nationals in
Barbados can finally become citizens of the island they now call
home once they can satisfy the
criteria set out.
The Barbadian Prime Minister has made it clear he is not on a
witch hunt to root out illegal immigrants on the island due to
maliciousness, but is genuinely concern about the welfare of
these CARICOM nationals who might be exploited in Barbados.
Prime Minister David Thompson of Barbados mentioned that illegal
immigrants are being exploited when it comes to employment and
wages, and that they are unable to seek medical care and
education for their children. This has been touted by Trivester
in a previous article - Human
trafficking in Barbados.
The Prime Minister has been backed by most Bajans on this matter
as many have seen the huge numbers of Guyanese nationals who
reside on the island and has added to the already overburden
hospitals, schools and transportation system on the island.
These measures will allow government a more vivid picture as to
how many people reside in Barbados both legal and illegally, so
more hospitals and schools can be built and the transportation
system improved.
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