Guyana Receives First Group of US Deportees Under Third-Country Agreement

Guyana has received the first group of people deported from the United States under a third-country deportation arrangement introduced by the Trump administration, the Guyanese government said on Saturday.

Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud said six nationals from Cuba and Afghanistan arrived in Guyana on Friday after undergoing screening by the government. According to Persaud, the individuals were found to have no criminal backgrounds and were removed from the United States mainly because of immigration-related issues.

The arrangement follows months of negotiations between Guyana and the United States. Persaud said the agreement will initially remain in place for one year and does not amount to permanent resettlement in Guyana.

He told The Associated Press that the United States had not made any additional requests for Guyana to receive more deportees.

The six people were transferred to Guyana through an Assisted Voluntary Return Program while their immigration cases are reviewed. Authorities said their stay in Guyana will depend on the outcome of those proceedings.

Those affected could eventually return to their countries of origin or be transferred to another country, depending on their individual immigration status and the decisions made during the process.

The International Organization for Migration, a United Nations agency, is responsible for implementing the program, according to Guyanese authorities.

The Guyanese government said it will not be responsible for the housing or support costs associated with the arrangement. The role of the government is focused on facilitating the agreement and working with the relevant organisations involved in the program.

Guyana is one of several Caribbean countries that have agreed to accept small groups of people deported by the United States. Other members of the Caribbean Community, known as Caricom, have also entered similar arrangements with Washington.

St Kitts and Nevis and Belize have already received groups of US deportees, while St Lucia was expected to accept its first group during the same period.

The agreements form part of the Trump administration’s wider effort to expand deportation options for people who cannot remain legally in the United States. Instead of returning some individuals directly to their countries of nationality, Washington has sought arrangements with other countries willing to temporarily host them while their cases are resolved.

For Guyana, the agreement comes as the country continues to strengthen its regional and international relationships. The government has stressed that the arrangement is temporary and does not give the deportees permanent residence.

Persaud’s comments indicate that Guyana is not currently expecting another group beyond the six people already transferred under the one-year agreement.

The cases will now proceed through the relevant immigration processes, with decisions on their eventual destination to be made after their status has been determined.