Venezuelan mom deported for overstaying time
Venezuelan National Katiusha DeJesus Carias who was ordered to be deported, leaving her son behind
…three-year-old son to remain in Guyana
Kaieteur News – A 36-year-old Venezuelan national, who has been residing in Guyana illegally for the past two months, was on Friday ordered to be deported when she appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
The woman, Katiusha DeJesus Carias appeared before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore. Once deported, the woman will leave her three-year-old Guyanese toddler in Guyana.
Guided that she speaks Spanish, an interpreter was there to assist Carias and the court.
During the court proceedings, Immigration Officer Melissa Pinheiro informed the court that Carias was a prohibited immigrant. The Venezuelan woman had entered Guyana legally on March 14, 2022, but failed to report to the Chief Immigration Officer to apply for an extension.
Pinheiro stated, “The last document Carias received was an extension valid until July 24, 2024. As of today, she has overstayed her time. She did apply for an extension, but did not apply for a further extension after the initial one expired.”
Based on these grounds, Pinheiro made an application to the court for Carias to be removed from the country.
Magistrate Azore was presented with a document from immigration services that confirmed Carias’s approval to stay in Guyana was valid from January 25, 2024, to July 24, 2024. There had been no further extension granted beyond this period. Pinheiro noted that Carias was supposed to apply for an extension before the expiry date of her last approval.
Carias claimed that she was unaware of the requirement to apply for an extension before the expiry date. Consequently, the court ruled that due to the invalidity of her reasoning, the application for deportation has been granted.
After the ruling, Carias tearfully pleaded with the court, stating that she has a three-year-old son who is going to school. She added that her son is Guyanese, and she has other family members residing here. Despite her pleas, the court’s decision was final.
Following the hearing, Carias was seen in distress, crying in her cell as she awaited further instructions from the police. Kaieteur News understands that the immigration officers informed Carias that upon her return to Venezuela, she would need to apply at the immigration office to legally re-enter Guyana to see her son in the future.
