0aJistrate orders +aitians Ee deported
3rincipal 0agistrate Sherdel 0arcus-,saacs, granted an order for the Haitian nationals, who were detained during a police operation last month, to be deported back to their homeland.
The order was granted although the Haitians were not officially charged or placed before the court.
The Association of Haitian Nationals in Guyana, through attorney-at-law Darren Wade, filed a motion in the High Court for the Haitians to be put before the court.
However, the matter was brought before the Georgetown 0agistrates’ Courts and a deportation order was granted.
According to Wade, the Haitians were not charged and were not put before any court, making it difficult to understand on what grounds the deportation order is being supported.
The lawyer posited that the Haitians entered Guyana legally and were granted si[ months stay by the ,mmigration Department. The lawyer said that he intends to fight the deportation order in the High Court, since he believes granted.
According to a press release, the Haitians were discovered between November and November , , at a city hotel and in a mini-bus en route to Linden – 0abura Road.
,t is reported that, out of the Haitians discovered, there were males, nine females, two boys and five girls.
The Haitians were being kept in protective custody, while the police force had launched an investigation. The Haitians are suspected to be involved in a Human Smuggling or Trafficking in 3ersons circle.
,t was later revealed by 0inister of Home Affairs, Robeson %enn, during a press conference that 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. 0inister %enn had said 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
it was wrongfully police surveillance, subseTuently leading to them being arrested.
The 0inister 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 reTuirements for Haitians who wish to travel to Guyana. Guyana, as part of Caricom, had dropped the need for visas for Haitians.
,n a statement, Opposition 0ember of 3arliament and Shadow Foreign Affairs 0inister, Aman]a WaltonDesir said ³A Haitian National is a Caricom National. All Caricom Nationals are entitled to enter into another Caricom 0ember State and be issued an automatic si[ month stay, hassle free – that is to say, without harassment or the imposition of impediments.´
The Shadow 0inister added ³The treatment of our Haitian brethren is ine[cusable, it is wrong.´ She critici]ed the detention of the Haitians and compared the way they were treated to other foreign nationals who enter Guyana in large numbers.
(Kaieteur News)