Venezuelan migrants the focus of a multi-agency committee

The Guyana government has restored a multi-agency coordinating committee to address the influx of migrants from neighbouring Venezuela.

The committee which is chaired by Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd met with representatives of government ministries, agencies and United Nations agencies is set up to examine the “means of strengthening its capacity through coherent policies to prevent uncoordinated and duplicated activities.”

Among the issues raised were irregular border crossings and the registration of migrants as the Committee outlined initiatives and ongoing projects to assist migrants.

Among those attending the meeting were Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Elizabeth Harper; Director of the Bilateral Unit, Ambassador Michael Brotherson; and Director of the Legal Division, Kezia Campbell-Erskine.

They were joined by International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Coordinator and Chief of Mission Robert Natiello; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Senior Liaison Officer Cecilie Saenz Guerrero; United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Representative Nicolas Pron; UNICEF Deputy Representative Irfan Akhtar; United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Liaison Officer Alder Bynoe; Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Consultant on Disaster Preparedness Tamica Noel, and representatives from the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, Ministry of Housing and Water, the Guyana Police Force, Regional Health Services, the Civil Defence Commission, and the Child Care and Protection Agency.

In 2019, there was an estimated 4000 Venezuelan migrants in Guyana. Most of these persons would have been fleeing Venezuela as the country faced political and economic struggles.