Guyana denies banning Haitians

Last Updated on Tuesday, 25 May 2021, 17:10 by Denis Chabrol

Guyana on Tuesday denied that it has banned Haitians seeking to  enter this oil-rich sister Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member nation.

The assurance was given by the Guyana Police Force  in the wake of unconfirmed information that has been circulating in sections of Social Media.

The Police Force states that it has not been directed by any authority, neither has the Commissioner of Police been instructed by the Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn to ban Haitian Nationals from entering Guyana.

Police say 61 Haitians arrived between Sunday May 23 and Monday May 24, 2021 aboard Caribbean Airlines flights at the Eugene Correia International Airport at Ogle but 17 were refused entry to Guyana

Police and Mr. Benn say those Haitians were not allowed to enter Guyana but neither he nor the Police Force specifed a reason.

Police say because they were denied entry, they were kept at the Airport awaiting a return flight to their Port of Embarkation for their journey to Guyana.

They departed Tuesday afternoon.

Police say the airline, airport officials and the Ministry of Home Affairs assisted with feeding and accommodation for the affected persons during their stay at the airport.

The Police Force refused to acknowledge respond to further media enquiries on this issue.

While in opposition, Mr. Benn’s People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had expressed grave concern about thousands of Haitians who had been arriving here legally but had left illegally for Brazil and French Guiana via Suriname.

Suriname recently launched a Commission of Inquiry into what appears to be the smuggling of people.