Guyana may introduce visa system for Haiti soon

Nov 25, 2020 News

– 7 Haitian children found during police operations likely trafficked

File photo: Haitians at the CJIA sometime back, waiting to be picked up.

Kaieteur News – As the probe into alleged human smuggling continues, after several foreign nationals were arrested earlier this month, Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, on Monday hinted that it may be a case of trafficking.
In fact, the seven Haitian children who were found during the two police operations might not be related to the adults, and they may have been trafficked.
Kaieteur News had reported that 26 Haitians were discovered between November 7 and November 8, 2020, at a city hotel and in a mini-bus en route to Linden – Mabura Road, Region 10. That roadway leads to the Brazil border.According to a press release, out of the 26 Haitians who were discovered in the bus, there are 10 males, 9 females, 2 boys and 5 girls.

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn.

During the launching of this year’s national road safety week, which was held on Monday at Parliament Park located on the corner of Brickdam and High Street, Georgetown, Minister Benn stated that when Haitians enter the country, they usually disappear without any trace.
For that reason, when this batch of Haitians entered the country they were under strict police surveillance, subsequently leading to them being arrested.
“It does not appear that any of these children have any relation to the persons who they were travelling with.”
The GPF has since launched an investigation, and the Haitians are being investigated to determine whether it was a case of human smuggling or one of trafficking in persons.
According to the police, they had arrested five persons in relation to the Haitians’ presence.
Meanwhile, the Haitians remain in “protective” care pending the outcome of the investigation.
The Minister also told reporters, that he is anticipating the Haitians can be sent back to Haiti shortly and the government will be seeking to implement visa requirements for Haitians who wish to travel to Guyana.Guyana, as part of CARICOM, had dropped the need for visas for Haitians.
However, they have been using the weakness in Guyana’s system to come here by the thousands, leaving for Brazil.
The Coalition, while in Government, had turned a blind eye to the country being a transit point.
However, evidence had pointed to an organized gang that was bribing officials in Guyana to move the Haitians and Cubans as well. It involved the use of minibuses, safe houses and reportedly police protection.
Minister Benn, too, believed that Haitians used Guyana as a transit point, as there are records of arrivals but little records of departures. More than 50,000 Haitians would have used Guyana as a jumping off point.
Prior to that discovery, 24 female foreign nationals were discovered on October 24, at a city nightclub.
The police had conducted a cordon and search operation at Baroombar International, a popular nightclub in Georgetown where 15 Venezuelans, 8 Dominicans and 1 Cuban were discovered.
An investigation was launched into the alleged Trafficking in Persons circle and it revealed that the Dominicans and Cubans overstayed their time in Guyana.
The foreign nationals were interviewed and later released on bail and told to return to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters.
A bartender, a security guard and a dispatcher, were arrested, interviewed and later released on bail and told to return to CID. Investigation into that matter is ongoing.

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