Guyana Grenada Association concern about deportation order for Rudolph Holligan and his family
October 24th, 2006 |
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News & Sports | 2 Comments
The Guyana Grenada Association has been approached by several concerned Grenadian nationals and Guyanese residing in Grenada, expressing their concern about the recent deportation order and the outcome of a subsequent hearing of the Court of Appeal in St.Vincent last Monday, with respect to a young Guyanese construction worker Rudolph Holligan who works and resides in Grenada with his young wife and two toddlers.
We are advised that in the particular circumstances which resulted in the recently concluded matter with respect to a deportation order against Mr. Holligan, that it was the young Guyanese man who was a victim in the circumstances alleged.
From a humanitarian point of view, and in the spirit of Caribbean unity, the Association is calling on the Government of Grenada to reconsider its decision and not to deport Holligan and family at the expiration of his work permit and we urge a full investigation of the circumstances which resulted in the Order for deportation in the first place.
The Guyanese community in Grenada remains committed to making a responsible contribution to the rebuilding and national life of Grenada.
In the spirit of the historic good relations between our two Caricom countries and as we stand at the threshold of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy, we continue to urge all members of the Guyanese community to be good Ambassadors for Guyana in Grenada and throughout the Caricom region and to respect the laws and culture of Grenada and other Caricom states.
Likewise we urge Grenadians and Caribbean brothers and sisters to be respectful to their Guyanese brothers and sisters who work and live in their communities as we deepen an era of regional integration.
(Submitted by the GUYANA GRENADA FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY)
October 24th, 2006 at 7:36 am (#)
Caribbean Net News :: According to the two attorneys representing Holligan, Peter David and Ruggles Ferguson, it is time to clear the air on this matter.
At a press conference held last week, Ferguson indicated that the issue is serious and it is one they intend to pursue until they get some satisfactory answers as to why Holligan’s permit was revoked before it had expired.
October 26th, 2006 at 9:10 pm (#)
October 23, 2006
For Immediate Release
CGID calls on Grenadian government to be transparent on deportation of Guyanese
Brooklyn, New York: The New York based Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) is calling on the Grenadian Government to “disclose, in a transparent manner, the true reason for the institution of deportation proceedings against Guyanese national Rudolf Holligan.”
The Institute which said it has been monitoring the controversy observed that the government of Grenada must provide clarity on the alleged revocation of the work permit for, as well as the institution of deportation proceedings against, “the apparent lawful resident of Grenada.”
A statement from the Institute said its President, Rickford Burke, has written to the Prime Minister of Grenada, Dr. Keith Mitchell, calling for disclosure and transparency on the matter.
Rudolf Holligan has been a construction worker in Grenada until his work permit was ostensibly recently revoked by the Grenadian Ministry of Labor. Consequently, he was reportedly forced to depart Grenada on October 21, 2006. However CGID believes that an apparent appeal of the proceedings instituted against him probably remains sub judice before the OECS Supreme Court in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Holligan’s attorneys have alleged that the government of Grenada has not provided their client with the reason for his expulsion from Grenada. On October 13, National Security Minister, Senator Einstein Louison, reportedly said that Holligan’s deportation “was not on the basis that the work permit had expired.” No further explanations have been forthcoming since.
In his letter to Mitchell, Burke contended that “The government’s nondisclosure of its rationale for invoking this extreme penalty appears to be undermining the very integrity of this decision. Thus it is being viewed by some as a belligerent act. This view, whether well-founded or misguided, is fueling speculation and skepticism and has begun to have a corrosive effect on the relations between the government of Grenada and the Guyanese community in Grenada . It is also generating a buzz in the Guyanese Diaspora,” Burke wrote.
He said “Adding fuel to this controversy is the damaging allegation by Mr. Holligan’s attorney, Mr. Ruggles Ferguson, that the revocation of Mr. Holligan’s work permit did not comport with Grenadian law.”
The Institute’s Head said CGID is a “strong advocate for strict adherence to the rule of law, both on the part of governments as well as their citizens.” He told Prime Mitchell that “We firmly believe that any person or entity that violates the law should be brought to justice and face the consequences as prescribed by law.”
“However, CGID also believes that an open, democratic society must uphold the values of social justice and equal treatment under the law. This can only be achieved by uniform application of the rule of law and fair, transparent governance. Consequently, it is on this basis that the government of Grenada must be transparent and provide a credible explanation for the institution of deportation proceedings against Mr. Holligan,” Burke asserted.
The CGID President told the Grenadian Prime Minister that an explanation is “imperative if the citizens of the Caribbean are to seriously give credibility to CARICOM Heads’ efforts to implement the free movement of people initiative within the context of the CSME.”
In an Interview with a New York Newspaper on October 23, Burke further pressured the Grenadian government to be forthcoming, saying “You cannot arbitrarily deport an individual without notifying that individual of the reason for this action or ignore the right to explore all options for judicial relief. Deportation is an extreme criminal sanction. If the government believes Mr. Holligan has violated the law and is a threat to Grenadian national security, then it should disclose this information, provide the evidence and let the chips fall where they may,” Burke asserted.
“But in this enlightened day when CARICOM is talking about “free movement” and CSME, and when courts are continually ruling in favor of equal protection under the law, a government cannot just deport an individual without a stated reason. That would appear to be prejudicial and capricious,” he added.
Rickford Burke said “At this point we are not questioning the merits of the actions of the government. We are merely calling on the Prime Minister to disclose the reason for this action. The longer the government takes to do so the more questions will be raised about the integrity of the decision,” Burke argued.
CGID led the charge on behalf of a large number of Guyanese who were mass deported from Barbados in 2004. The Institute also harshly criticized the government of Dominica when it instituted travel restrictions on Haitians visiting Dominica.