The Executive of Guyana reported this Saturday the signing of an understanding with the United States to provisionally receive a small contingent of migrants from third countries expelled from U.S. territory, provided they meet certain requirements and voluntarily consent to their relocation.
According to the agreed framework, individuals who may be included in this mechanism must have undergone a prior evaluation, possess qualifications, and have no criminal record. Additionally, the authorities of Guyana will retain the authority to individually review each case and reject any migrant proposed by Washington.
"The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana confirms the conclusion of a migratory cooperation framework with the Government of the United States, under which Guyana will receive a limited and previously evaluated number of qualified individuals with no criminal records through the Assisted Voluntary Return Program of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)," explained the Guyanese Executive in a statement.
The arrangement also establishes that the United States will assume the full funding of the transfer, while the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will cover the costs related to the arrival, accommodation, and support of the migrants during their stay in Guyana.
"The IOM will be responsible for the operational implementation of the program," clarifies the statement, which adds that the organization will also facilitate the migrants' contact with their legal representatives and families.
In this context, the government led by President Irfaan Ali has repeatedly emphasized that his Administration will not incur any economic costs arising from this initiative.
On the other hand, the IOM has specified that the understanding does not imply that the agency will assume responsibilities that belong to the State of Guyana, such as the admission of individuals into the country, the granting of legal residency, protection, or eventual expulsion.
The Guyanese authorities have framed the agreement within their commitment to Human Rights and have assured that migrants will have the opportunity to apply for international protection when appropriate. In such cases, the IOM will work in coordination with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and with national institutions to process the requests.
"The Government of Guyana will not assume the financial cost of the program, and the IOM has confirmed that it will not assume, nor will this agreement transfer to it, any of the responsibilities of the Government regarding admission, legal residence, protection, or expulsion," the Guyanese Executive has reiterated.
Limited and temporary agreement
The framework sealed between Georgetown and Washington will have a restricted scope and a temporary validity. "This agreement is of a temporary nature and does not constitute a permanent resettlement," emphasizes the official document.
The migrants who are transferred to the country will do so voluntarily and will remain there while their migratory situation is resolved. "The individuals relocated to Guyana under the Assisted Voluntary Return Program do so voluntarily and will wait for the resolution of their migratory status while they are in Guyana," the Guyanese Government has emphasized.
At the end of that procedure, the affected individuals will be able to return to their country of origin or move to another country of their choice, so their stay in Guyana will not imply a permanent settlement in the territory.
Georgetown has presented this understanding as a new demonstration of the strengthening of its bilateral ties with the United States, which in recent years have intensified and expanded to sectors such as energy, trade, investment, security, and diplomatic cooperation.
With this mechanism, Guyana joins the list of States that have reached agreements with Washington to receive certain migrants deported from the United States, a group that already includes Belize, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eswatini, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Liberia, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Uganda.