TEIXEIRA SHARES INFORMATION ON SUSPECT VISA SEEKERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000139 SIPDIS SIPDIS INL/HSTC CA/FPP WHA/CAR E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2016 TAGS: PGOV SNAR SMIG KFRD KCOR KCRM GY SUBJECT: TEIXEIRA SHARES INFORMATION ON SUSPECT VISA SEEKERS REF: A. 05 GEORGETOWN 1349 ¶B. 05 GEORGETOWN 1269 Classified By: Ambassador Roland W. Bullen for reason 1.4 (d) ¶1. (C) Ambassador met with Minister of Home Affairs Gail Teixeira on January 12 and January 20 to discuss various matters. At the January 12 meeting, Teixeira handed a document to Ambassador containing a list of Indian nationals who had applied for Guyanese tourist visas through Indian "tour operators" (reftels). The list includes name, date of birth, place of birth, and passport number of sixty-two visa applicants. Post has e-mailed a copy of the document to the Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center (HSTC) and the consular sections of Embassy New Delhi and Embassy Islamabad. ¶2. (SBU) Teixeira also provided updates on her efforts to address corruption within the General Register Office (GRO) responsible for civil documents. - Since EmbOffs gave Teixeira a report on December 23 regarding fraudulent Guyanese visa applications, she has continued to explore ways of improving document security. For example, she has obtained three estimates for systems that would print civil documents, which are all currently handwritten. She does not have money for this project. Ambassador said he would investigate the possibility of USG assistance for Teixeira's initiative to clean up GRO. Two key objectives are: a) assisting GoG to computerize the civil registry system to improve document security and modernize archival record keeping; and b) reviewing current procedures at GRO to identify areas lacking security and provide training to correct deficiencies. Post will pursue funding for these objectives through USAID's Democracy and Governance program and through INL. - Despite the prevalence of fraudulent marriages in Guyana, Teixeira said that the Minister of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Manzoor Nadir wants to amend the law to encourage marriage tourism. - After several months, bids to institute machine-readable passports by 2007 are still sitting with Guyana's tender board. ¶3. (C) COMMENT. Teixeira still seems to be fighting a lonely, uphill battle against fraud and corruption in the Ministry of Home Affairs. A shocking lack of control over Guyana's civil registry, visas, and passports presents narco-criminals, smuggled aliens, and potential terrorists with an easy way to obtain travel documents. She expressed gratitude that we are sharing information with her, but complained that problems have worsened since she began to "turn screws" on the Ministry. She believes that corrupt elements are either deliberately trying to embarrass her or trying to get as many fraud transactions through before she tightens the screws further. END COMMENT BULLEN