Over 12,000 migrant workers registered – Griffith

With more than 12,000 migrant workers officially registered in Guyana as of 2025, the government continues efforts to develop a robust labour migration policy.

These individuals have received work permits and are helping to meet Guyana’s labour needs, Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, Keoma Griffith, said on the Starting Point Podcast.

“We work on an inter-ministerial basis to try to manage issues of migration in this country as it pertains to labour. For 2025, we had just over 12,000 migrant workers registered in Guyana, through obtaining work permits,” the minister said.

He added that the framework to support this sector is coming soon.

“We have started examining the issue, examining the current model, and looking at ways that we can advance them toward the policy,” the minister said.

This influx of migrants is also a result of the geopolitical atmosphere in the region. The recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and prior socio-economic issues within the country have led to many Venezuelans and Guyanese living there to cross the border in search of a better life.

Griffith explained that the Ministry of Home Affairs plays a central role in regulating migration due to its responsibility for security and work permits. And migration management is handled through this inter-ministerial system, with several government agencies working together to address labour-related concerns.

With thousands of migrant workers now part of the local workforce, the government has begun reviewing its existing labour migration model.

Griffith said the aim is to assess current systems and identify ways to strengthen them as Guyana continues to see increased demand for labour.

The Minister added that Guyana is also keeping a close eye on developments at the regional level, particularly a labour migration policy being developed within CARICOM.

“We’re also being cautiously optimistic about the policy that is about to come into fruition at the CARICOM level, and so we want to look at that as well… the policy that we will enroll may be informed by that policy,” he said.

The review comes as rapid economic expansion, especially in sectors like oil and gas, construction, and services, continues to drive the need for both skilled and semi-skilled migrant workers as well as other factors in the region.