New birth certificate criterion nonsensical – APNU

Jun 08, 2014 News

Executive members of the political opposition coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), have deemed the

Joe Harmon, APNU’s Shadow Minister for Public Works and Telecommunications

new birth certificate requirement for first time passport applicants as “nonsensical and bizarre”.
The Guyana Police Force recently announced that first time applicants for Machine Readable Passports are required to present a birth certificate that was obtained no more than six months prior to the date of application.
The announcement was made by the Police Public Relations Department in response to queries from this newspaper, after a first time applicant travelled all the way from Anna Regina, Essequibo only to be told that the birth certificate he presented to immigration officials was invalid.
On Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Office sent out its initial statements on the matter but still failed to shed light on why the new requirement was in place.
“The Guyana Police Force Central Immigration and Passport Office is informing members of the public that persons applying for a Machine Readable Passport for the first time are required to submit a Birth Certificate, the issuing date of which must not be more than six months prior to the date on which the application is being made.”
On Friday, in another attempt to explain the reason for the new requirement, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that when the machine-readable passport system was introduced in 2007, the Ministry’s objective was to have in place a new category of passports that would be less susceptible to forgery.
“Built into that arrangement was a requirement by the Ministry that the Guyana Police Force would ensure that the birth certificates for first time applicants for passports were issued not more than six months prior to the date of application. The Ministry, in an effort to preserve the integrity of the system, is now reinforcing its policy directive originally given to the Guyana Police Force. This process is necessary to enable Guyana to comply with international best practices and prevent illegal use of travel documents.”
It added, “The Ministry is conscious of the temporary inconvenience members of the public will suffer and expects that the

Winston Felix, APNU’s Shadow Minister for Home Affairs

Guyana Police Force will take all necessary steps to negate any difficulties that members of the public, especially those who need special assistance, may experience.”
However, APNU Shadow Minister of Public Works and Telecommunications, Joseph Harmon, said that it is “a most ridiculous requirement. If you are a first time applicant of the passport what will a recently issued birth certificate do to enhance one’s integrity? How does the old one diminish one’s eligibility for the passport? In making rules we have to be sensible.
People must see some sense in your decisions, he said.
As it relates to the so-called international best practices being followed, the government should quote where in the world is doing this, Harmon said. “This birth certificate is issued by one arm of the government but there has been so much corruption that it even refuses to accept a document it issued.”
The Parliamentarian said that if Government has reason to believe that a birth certificate was not properly obtained it has the ability to check that.
“This new requirement will put an additional burden on the system and put a new sort of backlog in place. I don’t know if it is an attempt to stem the flow of people applying for passport but it certainly is, to my mind, a hindrance and a fetter on the freedom of movement of citizens and government should reconsider it.”
APNU’s Shadow Minister of Home Affairs, Winston Felix said, “This is the first time I am hearing about this. On the surface, it makes no sense to me. However, Parliament resumes on June 19, next, and I have some time from then to now to formulate what questions will be asked on this new arrangement. On the surface it is tempting to ask questions. It is absolute foolishness.”