– US/IOM to cover housing, other costs
Following months of negotiations, the Guyana Government has agreed to receive a limited number of vetted third-country nationals being deported from the United States.
In a statement on Saturday, the Government said this arrangement falls under a migration cooperation framework with the US Government. It allows for Guyana to “…receive a limited, vetted number of skilled and non-criminal individuals through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Assisted Voluntary Return Programme.”
Based on international reports, Guyana has already received the first group of deportees from the US on Friday. Despite making efforts to confirm with senior officials at the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry, Guyana Times understands that the six deportees arrived on Friday on a special US deportation flight.
Their records, provided by the US, indicated that they had no criminal background, and the youngest is 20 years old, with the oldest being 36.
Nevertheless, Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud told The Associated Press (AP) news agency that six nationals from Cuba and Afghanistan arrived in the country on Friday after being vetted by local authorities and found to have no criminal background. He was further quoted in the article, saying that “the US has not made any further requests.”
Persaud added, according to the international news agency, that the arrangement with the US will run for one year and does not constitute permanent resettlement. Those foreign nationals deported from the US, mainly due to immigration issues, will remain in Guyana pending the determination of their immigration status.
According to the Guyana Government in Saturday’s missive, Guyana retains full discretion to review and reject any individual proposed for relocation under the framework, and the US will bear the full cost of the relocation process.
“The Government intends to accept only individuals who have chosen relocation to Guyana of their own volition,” the statement indicated.
It was further explained that the IOM, which is the United Nations (UN) Migration Agency, will be responsible for the operational implementation of the programme.
“IOM will cover the costs of receiving, housing, and supporting individuals relocated to Guyana and will provide the services needed for their integration, including access to communication with legal representatives and family members. The Government of Guyana will not bear the financial cost of the programme, and IOM has confirmed it will not assume, and this arrangement will not transfer to it any of the Government’s responsibilities concerning admission, legal stay, protection, or removal,” local authorities stated.
Meanwhile, it was noted that President Irfaan Ali’s Government has framed this arrangement as an extension of Guyana’s longstanding commitment to human rights and international cooperation. The Government insisted that individuals relocated to Guyana must retain the right to seek international protection where applicable, and the IOM will support the referral of such cases to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in coordination with the relevant Guyanese authorities.
The Government has also confirmed regular, effective, and sufficiently private access to communication with legal representatives and family members.
“The arrangement is temporary in nature and does not constitute permanent resettlement. Individuals relocated to Guyana under the Assisted Voluntary Return Programme do so voluntarily and will await the outcome of their immigration status determination while in Guyana. Depending on the outcome, individuals will either return to their country of origin or relocate elsewhere of their choosing. Their presence in Guyana is governed by a set of predefined terms rather than open-ended residency,” the Guyanese Government explained.
The framework is the latest expression of the steadfast partnership between Guyana and the US, which has blossomed under President Ali’s Government across energy, trade, investment, security, and diplomatic cooperation. It reflects the strength and maturity of the bilateral relationship and Guyana’s standing as a trusted and constructive partner to the US in the region.
The Government of Guyana said it will continue to work closely with the IOM, the UNHCR, and relevant domestic stakeholders to ensure the framework is implemented in a manner consistent with Guyana’s laws, its human rights obligations, and its national development priorities.
Guyana now joins more than 30 nations, including several Caribbean countries, that have signed deals with the Donald Trump Administration to accept deportees from the US who are not their own citizens. Jamaica, St Lucia, Dominica, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, and St Kitts and Nevis are among the regional nations with signed deals or advanced arrangements to accept third-country nationals from the US.
Earlier this year, Foreign Secretary Persaud had confirmed that a framework of understanding between Guyana and the US was being developed to facilitate third-country nationals here from the North American nation.
At the time, Persaud had made it clear that even with an agreement in place, Guyana would still retain the right of refusal of anyone being sent.
In fact, the Guyana Government had maintained that it would not be accepting any persons with a criminal background. It had explained that those deported individuals coming are expected to largely encompass persons denied asylum in the US but not desirous of returning to their home country. They are highly skilled individuals who have accepted the option of going to another country that is willing to receive them.
Since last year, the US had sent, or made arrangements to send, third-country foreign nationals to a range of countries across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. These include Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, El Salvador, Belize, Paraguay, and Ecuador.
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