GEORGETOWN,

Guyana (CMC):

High Commissioner Charles Court says the matter of criminal deportations remains an important matter in Canada's bilateral relationship with Guyana, with at least 700 Guyanese currently awaiting deportation from Canada.

He said the Guyana figure of between 700 and 800 pending deportations was similar to the numbers registered for Mexico, Iran and other countries that have larger populations.

Important issue

"So it is an important issue in our bilateral relationship," the Canadian diplomat said.

He noted that the High Commis-sion, through the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives, had helped to set up a non governmental organisation with the aim of helping to re-integrate deportees.

But he was adamant that once Guyanese living abroad or citizens of any other country violate the law and serve their sentences, it was up to their countries to accept them back into society.

"That is the legal fact of the matter. It is a difficult issue, but we all have our responsibilities in it and we will certainly live up to ours," Court said.

Strange issue

But commenting on the issue here on Monday, President Bharrat Jagdeo said he found it strange that Canada would accept refugees from Guyana, but at the same time deport people to the same country that generates refugees.

Jagdeo also told reporters that while there have been several bilateral engagements on the issue with Canada, he has heard arguments that the executive does not have control over the bodies that make such decisions.

The president, however, added that when the judiciary in Guyana makes its independent decision, he, as the head of state, was held responsible for the decisions.

"Don't you find it a little illogical, a bit not right? They can always argue that they don't control the various bodies in Canada that make these decisions ... but, you bet, if anything goes wrong in our courts here, they expect the president to answer for that."