WORK PERMIT PROCEDURE IN BARBADOS
Guyana Chronicle
August 28, 2003
Consul Faria advises Guyanese to avoid "so called immigration consultants"
Guyanese who turn up at Barbados' airport wishing to find work, but don't have a work permit, are liable to be put on the next plane back home.
Speaking with the Chronicle while on a recent visit here, Guyanese Honorary Consul in the island, Norman Faria, also said people are "wasting their time and money" under the present system if they think they will get permits for unskilled work such as home help.
"To obtain a work permit, the potential employer in the island has to apply to the Barbados Immigration Department while the Guyanese is in Guyana. If the application is approved, the relevant information would be available to Immigration Officers at the Barbados airport when the Guyanese arrive. Permits are usually issued to skilled people such as carpenters. If you turn up at the airport without previously making arrangements with a potential employer and the Immigration officer has reasonable grounds to suspect you are coming to work, you will be denied entry."
"My understanding from the Department is that fewer permits are being issued now. The Barbadian economy showed a modest three per cent growth during the first six months of this year compared to same period last year. There was a nearly five per cent growth in the construction sub sector. But there seems to be a hold back of issuing permits right now. Apparently, they are being issued for those in the pool of Guyanese contract workers already in the island. That is, to workers who may leave one work site or project when it is finished, or for other reasons, and go to another job."
Consul Faria, visiting Guyana this month on what he describes as a "working holiday", said Guyanese contract workers in the island are mainly in the construction and agriculture areas. Some are also employed in large infrastructural projects such as road works. Among the construction projects are the new multi-million dollar Hilton Hotel and the Grantley Adams International Airport Extension.
Consul Faria added that Guyanese hoping to get permits for unskilled work such as home help and general labourers are "wasting their time and money" to come to Barbados.
"The Immigration Department says Barbadians can fill those jobs. Some Guyanese, as with other nationalities, have slipped through the increased scrutiny at Barbados' ports of entry and have become undocumented, a term we prefer rather than 'illegal' .The Guyana government does not approve of this violation of Barbados Immigration regulations. We encourage our people to respect the regulations, the majority of whom do. When contracts are up, for example, the workers should ensure that an application is in for a new one or, if that is not possible, return to Guyana."
Consul Faria, a political scientist and former journalist who was appointed Consul in 1994, criticized what he termed "so called immigration consultants, fly by night employers and even some lawyers" who are "preying on Guyanese" in Barbados and even in Guyana.
He noted: "Intelligence reaching the Consulate is that some Guyanese, who may be led to believe that they are respecting the regulations, are paying out considerable sums of hard earned money to persons who are misleading them that work permits and residency status would be granted upon payment, of course, the fee. No refunds are available when the permits or status don't materialize. Sometimes, passports are turned over and then they never hear from the people who made the promises. I've even had lawyers' offices reporting to the Consulate they couldn't locate Guyanese passports lodged there. The Guyanese would then come to the Consulate to request assistance to get back their passport or to apply for a new one."
"The Guyana Government," he continued," respects the freedom of our people to work overseas as contract workers. Even in more industrialized countries, such as Barbados, sends workers to US and Canada to work temporarily on farms and hotels. But we must always go through the correct and proper channels, which the majority of Guyanese do, if not you will get Peter paying for Paul and so on. We must always try and deal with reputable employers who will obtain work permits and pay NIS. I've had cases of Guyanese injured on the job. One fellow fell off a roof while another had one of his hands mangled in a machine. When they went to collect NIS benefits there were none because the employers didn't pay into the system," he said.
Consul Faria pointed out that advice and information about procedures in applying for jobs in Barbados may be obtained from the Ministry of Labour in Guyana or the Consulate in Barbados.
The Consulate also urges contract workers in the island to join a trade union of their choice. The main labour body in Barbados is the Barbados Workers Union (BWU), which for example represents Barbadian and Guyanese workers at the Hilton Hotel site.
Consul Faria, a former member of the Executive of the Barbados Association of Journalists (BAJ) and a Researcher and PR Officer for the Barbados office of Britain's National Union of Seamen (NUS), has met with BWU officials. The aim was to pledge the Consulate's co-operation in urging Guyanese to join the union of their choice along with Barbadian workers.
"Generally, Guyanese contract workers are doing a good job. I have had many positive reports from Barbadians who are satisfied with their work. Some employers of course want cheap labour, cheaper than what they would pay Bajans. But the Consulate always insists that Guyanese must demand and receive equal pay and relevant benefits for comparative work done by Bajans, he said.
The Guyanese Honorary Consul in the land of the flying fish and cucoo, explained he doesn't as yet have access to exact figures of Guyanese contract workers in Barbados. He said they run into the "hundreds". There are an estimated 26,000 Guyanese nationals, both documented and undocumented, in the Eastern Caribbean island. Barbados has a population of 250,000.