By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Opposition Member of Parliament representing A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Sherod Duncan, conducted an on-site inspection at the Ministry of Health’s Brickdam Head Office on Monday, demanding public clarification from the executive branch after several hundred foreign nationals—predominantly Spanish-speaking—assembled across the compound with legal documents and passports in hand.
The unannounced gathering, managed under large temporary canopies, has triggered concerns over administrative transparency, immigration protocols, and the statutory management of national identity records.
Unannounced Gathering on Brickdam Compound
Detailing his site visit, MP Duncan reported that the Ministry of Health’s central grounds were commandeered to process a massive influx of foreign citizens, with little visible oversight by recognizable state personnel:
- Tents and Passports: Two expansive tents were erected across the compound to channel hundreds of individuals, whose passports and supporting civil documentation were actively being presented and cataloged.
- Absence of Visible Authorities: Duncan noted an absence of visibly identified, authorized Guyanese civil servants or immigration officers guiding the crowd, leaving the grounds open to speculation.
- Conflicting Narratives: In the absence of an official ministerial dispatch, contradictory explanations circulated on site—some indicating a recruitment and registration drive for specialized foreign healthcare workers, while others suggested an expedited enrollment campaign for national identification cards and digital Electronic Identification (E-ID) credentials.
“Guyanese cannot be left to rely on street rumour to understand state operations occurring on public property,” Duncan asserted. “This administration continues to govern immigration policy through administrative discretion, silence, and ad-hoc arrangements rather than institutional transparency.”
Linking Brickdam to the Secret US Deportation Agreement
Duncan connected the lack of communication at Brickdam to a broader pattern of executive secrecy, citing the administration’s recent undisclosed bilateral arrangement with the United States regarding third-country deportees:
- The Third-Country Precedent: Duncan referenced the recent arrival of six foreign nationals—four Cubans and two Afghans—transferred under an unannounced one-year bilateral removal agreement with Washington.
- Bypassing the Legislature: The MP reiterated that the executive branch has refused to table the signed text of that migration framework before the National Assembly, leaving the public uninformed on total resettlement caps, independent health and security screening mechanisms, and the eventual legal status of those received.
- Persistent Questions: Despite subsequent public remarks from the President, Duncan maintained that critical national security questions remain unresolved regarding bilateral commitments made behind closed doors.
Call for Rule of Law and Ministerial Accountability
Reiterating that his challenge is rooted in institutional governance and national sovereignty rather than anti-migrant sentiment, Duncan emphasized the risks of disordered administration:
- Dignity vs. Disorder: Duncan underscored that Guyanese understand the realities of migration and have historically welcomed foreign nationals, but stressed that hospitality must operate within a lawful statutory framework.
- Exposing Vulnerabilities: The MP warned that conducting large-scale, unannounced processing exercises without clear public communication damages public confidence, weakens the rule of law, and leaves the migrants themselves vulnerable to exploitation and institutional disorder.
“When hundreds of people are assembled without prior public notice, without clear ministerial explanation, and under questionable administrative procedures, it directly compromises public confidence, undermines the rule of law, and leaves migrants themselves exposed to institutional disorder,” Duncan stated.
Duncan formally called on Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond, and the executive leadership to break their silence and provide an immediate accounting of the Brickdam operation.
He demanded that the administration identify the precise legal authority governing the exercise, name the specific state agencies directing it, specify the documentation or legal status issued, and lay all outstanding bilateral migration frameworks before the National Assembly.
