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Friday, December 3, 2010
Guyanas President Bharrat Jagdeo has announced a raft of measures to make life easier for Chinese immigrants by granting automatic citizenship for those lawfully residing in Guyana for seven years and increasing the duration of a work permit from one year to three years. But he implored them to live within the law and to report anyone purporting to be a government official and soliciting bribes from them for granting citizenship or work permits.
He said that the government is taking a firm stand against any kind of exploitation so as to ensure that Chinese immigrants are not discriminated against or taken advantage of by unscrupulous persons. President Jagdeo made these statements while addressing more than 400 persons of Chinese descent Guyana International Conference Centre, Georgetown.
I expect that the Chinese coming now will continue to make a valuable contribution to our society, he said, adding that the meeting was to get rid of the perception that Guyana is an unwelcoming society and ensure that the people who follow the laws enjoy a stay here free from discrimination and harassment.
The President told them that while learning English is not compulsory, they should make the effort to do so since it will simplify the process of integration.
He also urges them to send their children to school, even if the instruction is done in Chinese.
Officers from the Immigration Department were among officials at the meeting to deal with specific problems faced by some immigrants.
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