Missionary issues could have been better handled

Missionary issues could have been better handled – Jagdeo

Sep 11, 2009 News

By Mondale Smith
Guyana does not need to round up especially religious people, and it is not the Guyana image that government wants to portray, says President Bharrat Jagdeo, regarding the detention and subsequent expulsion order for about 50 American Missionaries.
Yesterday after touring the East La Penitence health centre constructed by US Military personnel, with funding from US Government, the President admitted that he has seen the records which show that the Missionaries were all in violation of some immigration laws that ranged from overstaying to not having work permits, as required by the laws of Guyana.
In noting that the move does not strain relations with Guyana and the US, Jagdeo opined that the matter could have been better handled as “we are an open society that is very welcoming to all” but the police have to execute their duty as immigration officials.
While he intervened and met with police and elders among the Missionaries, Jagdeo said he did not want to get involved in the administration of immigration laws, as in other countries, the political authorities would stay away from immigration matters because “once you violate those you have to pay the penalty.”
The President noted that it was he who advised the police that they let the Mormons go back to doing their business and to let them voluntarily leave Guyana within a period of one month.
“That does not mean that you can’t come back to Guyana, but you must sort out your immigration matters from abroad first,” the President told the Mormon Missionary elders. He said contrary to reports, he did tell the elders that only those who were in violation of their immigration status had to leave and seek to regularise their immigration status. He also noted that there would still be Mormons in Guyana.
The President dismissed as erroneous and ridiculous, reports that the group was being targeted because of links to a political party or has been engaged in alleged espionage. “I don’t know what they were going to spy on because we don’t have many military secrets” he categorically stated.
This issue the President said, has brought to the fore the need for discussions at some point in time at the national level about Missionaries. He says if every church in Guyana wants to bring in fifty Missionaries with so many denominations there could be potential difficulties, however, the decision on the way forward on the issues is not one that would be made by government alone. The Guyana Government ordered the expulsion of all the foreign members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on September 2. The church members, most of whom are Americans, were detained at the Headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department, Eve Leary on that date and were given 30 days to leave the country.

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Missionary issues could have been better handled – Jagdeo

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