Lindeners wary over growing number of Venezuelans in community
– flay Govt for ignoring local leaders during meeting with migrants
Kaieteur News – Leaders and residents of Linden have sounded the alarm over the growing number of Venezuelans who have taken up residency in the mining town, saying that the migrants putting a strain on their already scarce resources and have urged the government to intervene.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd engaging with Venezuelan migrants in Linden on Tuesday
Some 600 Venezuelans have already been living in the township and on Tuesday Foreign Affairs Minister, Hugh Todd visited the area to engage with the migrants, but he ignored the local leaders.
“It is disappointing that during Minister’s Hugh Todd visit to Linden he chose to meet only with members of his party and Venezuelan migrants, without engaging with local elected officials or community leaders, who raised this matter as an urgent issue, since last December,” Mayor of Linden, Sharma Solomon said.
He said that the township has been on the front lines of addressing the concerns surrounding the migrant situation, “and the voices of our residents who have legitimate questions and concerns have been overlooked by the Ministry for too long.” Solomon said last December, during several public forums the People of Linden have warned government of this unchecked issue in our town.
Opposition Member of Parliament, Jermaine Figueira
“This notwithstanding, governments migration unit which was established to monitor this matter, but according to the minister of Home Affairs, as of January, Linden did not have Venezuelan migrants. While we welcome any effort to support and assist those in need, it is crucial that all parties, including the Ministry, take into account the local context and the challenges our town faces. The lack of engagement with local officials and residents further alienates the very people whose lives are being directly impacted by these decisions.”
Solomon said: “We hope that, the ministry’s response, by having the minister come himself, is not just a show to appease the international community, while reducing the legitimate concerns of Guyanese. The way government chooses to handle this issue, will say how much confidence the community should have in any information being released,” Solomon said.
“As mayor, I call upon Minister Todd to take immediate steps to open dialogue with our community and ensure that all perspectives are heard, and not just those that align with a political agenda. Our priority remains the safety, well-being, and cohesion of our community, and we expect the same from national leadership,” his statement concluded.
For his part, Member of Parliament, Jermaine Figueira said that Todd’s visit to Linden to address the Venezuelan migrant crisis was deeply concerning, as it failed to involve local leadership for a comprehensive and bipartisan approach that is an imperative when addressing such sensitive matters. “This lack of engagement is not only disrespectful but raises doubts about the seriousness the minister attaches to the fulsomeness of this crucial issue,” Figueira said.
He noted that a more magnanimous and responsible approach, one that involves local leaders and stakeholders, is not only necessary, but paramount, for the development of a comprehensive plan that addresses the humanitarian issues at hand and the attendant impacts and implications for the municipality and its local services architecture. “I urge the minister to engage more collaboratively to ensure that the migrants and local concerns are adequately and amicably addressed,” he said.
