The United States has praised Guyana for helping address its growing immigration challenges after Georgetown agreed to temporarily receive a limited number of vetted third-country nationals removed from the United States.
US Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot said Washington was grateful for Guyana’s willingness to assist with the migration initiative, which was negotiated over several months. Her comments came as the first group of six deportees, four Cuban nationals and two Afghans, arrived in Guyana under the newly finalized arrangement.
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The one-year migration cooperation framework allows Guyana to receive a limited number of skilled, non-criminal individuals through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Assisted Voluntary Return Programme. Guyanese authorities retain the right to review and reject anyone proposed by the United States, while the government says only people who voluntarily agree to relocate will be considered.
The arrangement does not provide permanent residency or resettlement. Those accepted will remain in Guyana temporarily while their immigration cases are determined. Depending on the outcome, they may return to their countries of origin or relocate elsewhere. The IOM will oversee housing, basic support and other services, while the United States will bear the financial cost of the relocation process.
Guyana’s Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud said the initial group had been screened and found to have no criminal backgrounds. He also indicated that Guyana’s willingness to consider skilled individuals is partly connected to labour shortages created by the country’s expanding oil-driven economy.
The agreement has nevertheless generated debate within Guyana. Opposition lawmakers have called for greater transparency over the negotiations and parliamentary scrutiny of the arrangement, particularly after the first deportees arrived before the agreement became widely known.
The development further highlights the increasingly close relationship between Guyana and the United States, which has expanded beyond energy and investment into security and migration cooperation. President Irfaan Ali has previously described the bilateral relationship as stronger than ever, while Washington has increasingly relied on third countries as part of its broader immigration enforcement strategy.
For Guyana, the arrangement represents an opportunity to deepen cooperation with a major partner while potentially attracting skilled workers during an economic expansion. At the same time, the government faces the challenge of maintaining national control over who enters the country and ensuring that the programme remains consistent with Guyana’s human-rights obligations.
