Georgetown: There has been a significant decrease in the number of Guyanese being deported from Canada, statistics have revealed.
Back in 2012, a total of 112 illegal Guyanese immigrants were removed from Canada but by 2013, only 56 were deported. The 56 Guyanese represented 0.36 per cent of the 15,440 illegal immigrants who were removed from Canada in 2013. During the period January to July 2014, Canada has deported 6263 persons, with only 29 being Guyanese.
Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr Nicole Giles said the figures are not alarming. “We are not concerned, we don’t consider this a trend, we are very comfortable with those numbers,” Dr Giles said.
It is unclear how many Guyanese were deported from countries across the world in 2013; however in 2012 a total of 750 Guyanese were deported from the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, French Guiana, Suriname, St Maarten, Curacao, France, Antigua, Jamaica, Holland, Costa Rica and Spain.
According to the Guyana Police Force, the deportees were mainly from the USA (158), Canada (112), Trinidad (128), Barbados (82) and the highest number from Suriname; 234. They were mainly deported because of drug-related and other criminal offences, illegal entry, overstaying time and denial of refugee status.
In addition to the drop in the number of deportees, fewer Guyanese are seeking asylum in Canada. “We have seen a dramatic decrease in the number of refugee applications from Guyana,” the Canadian High Commissioner said. It was explained that in 2007 there were 126 applications from Guyanese but by 2013 the number of applications reduced to 20. Additionally, in 2007 there were 133 decisions on claims while in 2013 there 26 decisions on claims.
“So we have seen a dramatic decrease in the number of claims. In 2013, there were 20 referrals to 20 new applications, decisions on 26 which obviously carried applications from the previous year, five applications were accepted, and 19 applications were rejected,” Dr Giles further explained.
Before a decision in made, she explained that the Refugee Protection Division in Canada looks at each case on its own merit before making a decision. “Decisions are made after laborious and very intensive investigation of the case that is presented,” the High Commissioner added.
To assist refugees who have had their claims rejected, the Government of Canada has initiated the ‘Assisted Voluntarily Returns and the Reintegration Pilot Programme (AVRR).’
For more than 30 years, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) AVRR programmes had been in operation around the world.
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