Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica have confirmed that they have reached agreements to accept asylum-seekers from the US who cannot be returned to their countries of origin, while Guyana is reported to be nearing completion of a separate framework under which it would receive skilled migrants currently without legal status in the US who are unable or unwilling to return home.
Speaking at a news conference on 5 Jan., Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit described the decision “to facilitate third-country refugees to be sent to Dominica” as a pragmatic step grounded in the importance of the bilateral relationship between Dominica and the US.
Skerrit said national security considerations were central to the discussions, which he characterised as careful and deliberate.
“In our discussions with the State Department, there has been careful deliberation on the need to avoid receiving violent individuals or individuals who would compromise the security of Dominica,” he said.
While he did not disclose the nationalities of potential transferees, citing confidentiality, he said the agreement would be implemented cautiously and reviewed as it unfolds. “The United States is very mindful of our smallness, our size, our resources,” he said.
Antigua and Barbuda take reserved approach
Antigua and Barbuda adopted a more guarded tone, with Prime Minister Gaston Browne issuing a detailed statement on 5 Jan. following suggestions that the twin-island state had secretly agreed to accept deported migrants from the US.
Browne rejected those claims, saying Antigua and Barbuda had not entered into any binding agreement and had not agreed to accept deportees. He further stressed that there was no coercion or secrecy involved in the discussions.
According to the statement, Antigua and Barbuda was approached by the US, along with more than 100 other governments worldwide, including some in the CARICOM region, to consider a non-binding memorandum of understanding related to sharing responsibility for refugees already present in US territory.
Browne stressed that the proposed framework would impose no legal obligation, set no quotas and could be terminated at any time at the country’s discretion.
“Antigua and Barbuda retains the absolute right to reject any individual proposed by the United States; all cases would be considered strictly on a case-by-case basis; no person with a criminal record would be accepted; and any consideration would be strictly limited, including an upper ceiling of no more than ten (10) persons per year, subject entirely to our Government’s discretion,” he said.
“There is no surrender of sovereignty, no transfer of authority, and no loss of control over borders or national security,” he added.
The announcements from Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda followed the introduction of US travel restrictions and visa bans on the two countries, which came into force on 1 Jan.
Guyana discussions ‘very unique’
The issue has also been advancing in Guyana, where officials say discussions with Washington are more economically driven.
Guyana Foreign Secretary Robert M. Persaud has described the talks as “very unique” and linked them to private-sector requests for skilled labour.
“We have been in productive discussions on a framework of understanding which is consistent with our national priorities and needs and supportive of the USA objectives,” Persaud said in an interview with Guyana’s Stabroek News on 6 Jan.
Amid a rapid oil-fuelled expansion, Guyana faces an estimated skills gap of up to 80,000 workers. Persaud told the Miami Herald that under the emerging framework, preference would be given to skilled individuals without criminal records, with the United States covering the costs of relocation and integration.
“This is not a case where the US would be dumping people in Guyana,” he said. “We have the right to refuse anyone.”
The talks, which were paused ahead of Guyana’s elections last year, are now said to be approaching a potential signing.
In a statement published on 6 Jan., Persaud confirmed that Guyana President Mohamed Irfaan Ali had held talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during which he stressed Guyana’s position as a committed partner of the United States.
“President Ali reiterated Guyana’s steadfast commitment to working with the United States – the region’s strategic and important security ally,” Persaud said.
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