Migration Cooperation Framework with US: Guyana retains final say on 3rd country nationals sent from US – Pres. Ali

Even as the country agrees to the one-year migration cooperation framework with the United States, President Dr Irfaan Ali maintains that Guyana has retain full vetting sovereignty over and complete discretion to reject the foreign nationals proposed for relocation here.

“We still have sovereign,” President Ali declared in an interview with Al Jazeera during his recent visit to Doha, Qatar. “We can reject. We can say that we are not accepting this so that has not been taken away. The agreement is one in which Guyana has full control over what we accept.”

The cooperation framework 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.

Already, at least six third country nationals have arrived in Guyana and will remain here until their immigration status is determined by the US Government. Guyanese authorities have already made it clear that this is a temporary arrangement.

However, asked whether this arrangement could set a precedence for the US to ‘dump’ foreign nationals in Guyana, the Guyanese Head of State contended that Guyana still has the final say.

“We have exceptionally good human rights credentials… Of course, everything in life has an element of risk but here is where we have the names before. We do our own vetting to our own satisfaction, and then we agree with the names. This is not a situation where the US turns up with a plane and just throw people off on your shores,” the President asserted.

Ali went onto dismiss human rights concerns, citing Guyana’s good track record and the fact that country is already housing migrants from countries like Venezuela and Cuba who enjoy full and free access to social services.

Added to this, according to the Guyanese Leader, is the fact that the IOM, which is the United Nations (UN) Migration Agency, is actively involved in this arrangement.

“The IOM is part of this. The IOM is the entity that is managing [the migrants]. We have an arrangement with the United States where the IOM is part of the ecosystem that is managing this,” President Ali contended.

Under this cooperation framework with the US, the IOM will be responsible for the operational implementation of this deal through its Assisted Voluntary Return 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 had said in a statement on September 5.

In fact, the Guyana Government has made it clear that it intends to accept only individuals who have chosen relocation to here of their own volition.

On September 4, the first batch of foreign individuals – four from Cuba and two from Afghanistan – arrived in Guyana 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.

According to several international news agencies, Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud were accepted after being vetted by local authorities and found to have no criminal background. He was further quoted, saying that “the US has not made any further requests.”

Meanwhile, in the September 5 missive, it was noted that President Ali’s Administration 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 had explained.

It was further noted that this framework is the latest expression of the steadfast partnership between Guyana and Washington, which has blossomed under President Ali’s Government across energy, trade, investment, security, and diplomatic cooperation.

In fact, US Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot said the US Government is “grateful to Guyana for agreeing to assist us in resolving our migration issues.”

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.