Guyana MP pushes for oversight on government’s migration and residency changes

A Guyanaese Member of Parliament for the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Sherod Duncan has tabled sixteen Questions on Notice in the National Assembly, pressing the government for clarity and accountability on its recent migration and residency policies.

In a recent statement posted on Facebook, Duncan said the questions address issues under the Ministries of Home Affairs, Labour, Legal Affairs, Housing, Health, Human Services and Social Security, Education, and Foreign Affairs. The inquiries focus on the government’s management of migration, biometric identification deployment, border monitoring, and the introduction of new residency categories without formal legislative backing.

“These are profound changes that carry constitutional, security, and social implications, yet they are being advanced without the legal foundation, public consultation, or parliamentary scrutiny that our democratic system requires,” Duncan said. He warned that such actions risk undermining the rule of law and could expose both citizens and migrants to abuses where sensitive data and administrative powers are exercised without safeguards.

The MP’s questions seek details on the legal authority behind work permits, residency determinations, and enforcement against employers hiring undocumented migrants. He also asks how riverine and irregular border crossings, particularly in Regions 1, 2, and 7, are being monitored, and whether the government plans to create a residency category that allows people to live and work in Guyana while being excluded from voting — a move Duncan said would raise serious constitutional questions.

Duncan said his submission is guided by the APNU manifesto, which emphasizes territorial defence, good governance, and protection of citizens’ rights. “We have committed to actively and purposively defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana,” he said. He also stressed that digital identity, data collection, and residency policies must comply with the Access to Information Act and newly enacted data protection legislation.

Highlighting internal migration issues, Duncan noted that Indigenous communities face economic pressures driving a “vicious cycle of male migration” from family units. He said a responsible migration policy must consider these internal dynamics, not just border enforcement.

“Given the scale and speed of the policy changes this Government is attempting to implement, parliamentary oversight is not optional, it is essential,” Duncan said. He added that the sixteen questions are intended to ensure the government accounts to the people, respects the Constitution, and maintains the Parliament’s role in national decision-making.

Duncan concluded that APNU looks forward to the government’s responses in the National Assembly in the near future.