Guyana, a new gateway to Europe for migrants

Guyana has become the new route to Europe for migrants. Some came from Syria and hope to obtain the right of asylum to then join France. “Some want to stay in Guyana, but the majority want to go to mainland France”, assures a man. Volunteers give them food, while they sleep in a camp, on the ground, on a lawn. With the war in Syria, the Syrians who have the means fled to Lebanon, then to Venezuela or Brazil. These last two countries being in crisis, they fall back on Guyana.

The police observe this phenomenon. A crew sails on a river, on the largest border of France, that with Brazil, 730 km long. But, it is impossible to control all the boats. Migrants from the Middle East then seek asylum on French soil. Guyana is already overwhelmed by immigration from neighboring countries, such as Haiti. Migrants live in hiding and in poverty, while more than 3,000 people seek asylum each year in Guyana.