By: Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News|
Leader of Forward Guyana and Member of Parliament Amanza Walton-Desir is calling for sweeping reforms to Guyana’s citizenship laws, arguing that the current requirements are too relaxed for a country now producing oil and facing heightened geopolitical and demographic pressures.
Walton-Desir has proposed increasing the minimum residency requirement for citizenship from five years to 15 years, arguing that Guyana’s existing framework—established primarily in the 1960s with subsequent amendments—is outdated and no longer fit for current realities.
Speaking on the issue, Walton-Desir said citizenship reform will be one of Forward Guyana’s key advocacy priorities. She argued that Guyana can no longer afford lenient naturalisation policies, particularly given its oil wealth, border controversy with Venezuela, and increasing migration flows linked to economic expansion.
According to the Forward Guyana leader, the country’s small population makes it especially vulnerable to rapid demographic shifts. She warned that without stricter citizenship requirements, Guyana risks being overwhelmed by population changes that could alter its social and political landscape.
Walton-Desir noted that migration is already visibly reshaping parts of Georgetown and other urban areas, stressing that stronger safeguards are needed to protect national identity and sovereignty.
As part of her proposal, Walton-Desir also called for a rules-based, community-informed vetting system for citizenship applications. She criticised what she described as excessive ministerial discretion in the current process, arguing that decisions on citizenship should be transparent, structured, and accountable.
She emphasised that the proposal is not intended to exclude migrants from contributing to Guyana’s development. According to Walton-Desir, non-citizens should be able to live, work, pay taxes, and participate economically in the country. However, she stressed that citizenship confers voting rights, and those rights should be reserved for Guyanese after a long-term, demonstrable commitment to the country.
Walton-Desir maintained that reforming the citizenship process is essential to safeguarding Guyana’s national interests as it navigates its transformation into a major oil-producing state.
