Migrants deported from US could soon land in 2 Caribbean countries

Two Caribbean countries whose nationals have been targeted under a recent U.S. travel ban have agreed to accept asylum-seekers rejected from the United States who cannot return to their countries of origin.

The governments of Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica confirmed the development earlier this week, issuing separate statements defending a decision that’s likely to fuel debate in a region already grappling with a host of socio-economic challenges, including rising gun violence, fragile tourism and migration.

Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, speaking to the media on Monday, said his eastern Caribbean country “has entered into an agreement to facilitate third-country refugees to be sent to Dominica to mitigate scenarios where the United States cannot return these individuals to a state of birth or origin.”

Skerrit tied the decision to the Trump administration’s Dec. 16 executive order that placed Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda under an expanded partial travel ban — a ban the State Department late Tuesday confirmed to the Miami Herald remains in effect for the two Caribbean nations despite reports over the Christmas holidays that implementation had been placed on hold amid ongoing discussions with Washington. Persons who had valid visas prior to the effective date of the restriction are not affected, the State Department said.

The administration cited concerns about Antigua and Dominica’s Citizenship by Investment, or CBI, program, which allows a foreign national to obtain a passport in exchange for financial investments. Known as “golden passports,” the programs are a significant revenue earner for the two island-nations, building everything from hospitals to roads. But the programs have become leverage for the Trump administration in carrying out its immigration agenda amid concerns about the transparency and proper vetting of wealthy individuals who can acquire citizenship with minimum investments ranging from $200,000 to $250,000.

Though five Caribbean countries have CBI protocols, only Antigua and Dominica were included in the partial travel ban, which includes 13 other countries, mainly in Africa.

Skerrit said given the importance of bilateral relations between his country of 66,000 people and the U.S., he, as prime minister and head of government, believes ”it is important to find key points of agreement and compromise” with the United States.

“This engagement is based on our responsibility to safeguard the well-being of our people, particularly the access to lawful travel, education, employment and family connections, while strengthening cooperation between our two governments,” he said. “I believe this will further deepen our long-standing relationship and signal clearly that Dominica remains a willing and reliable partner of the United States in our region.”

Opposition criticizes the deal

Skerrit provided few details on how his island, still facing a housing shortage after Category 5 Hurricane Maria devastated the island in September 2017, plans to accommodate the refugees.

Dominica opposition leader Joshua Francis of the United Progressive Party criticized Skerrit’s lack of transparency on the decision. In a statement, he raised a number of concerns, including how Dominica could agree to accept responsibility for deportees “when we have yet to fully address the housing needs of our own people.”

“The UPP believes this agreement has the potential to further destabilize our nation economically, socially, and from a security standpoint,” Francis said. “We are not opposed to humanitarian assistance in principle, but such decisions must be made transparently, with full consultation, and with careful consideration of our national capacity, security, and the welfare of Dominican citizens.”

Skerrit said he has insisted in his conversations with the State Department of the need to avoid receiving violent individuals who will compromise the security of the country. “These have been they have been careful deliberations,” he said.

The Herald has previously reported, however, that such guarantees do not always hold. In October, the Herald reported that hundreds of Cubans and other immigrants with significant criminal records were sent in buses across the border to Mexico by the Trump administration in an expansion of third-country deportations.

In the case of the Cuban nationals, the refugees had been in limbo after being rejected by Cuba. Though Mexico accepts deportation flights from the U.S., it has a longtime practice of rejecting deportees who have been convicted of certain crimes.

‘Possible acceptance’

While Skerrit presented his discussions with the Trump administration as “a done deal,” the government of Antigua and Barbuda presented its engagement with the U.S. “as a possible acceptance of a very limited number of third-country nationals, including refugees.”

In a statement, the government said there is “a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding proposed by the United States, as part of its global efforts to share responsibility for refugees already present in its territory.”

The twin-island nation of nearly 94,000 residents said it was approached, “along with more than one hundred governments worldwide, including several within the Caribbean Community, to consider” the arrangement.

Antigua said the non-binding understanding, which creates no legal obligation on the island-nation, doesn’t commit the government to quotas or automatic acceptance of any persons, and may be terminated at any time.

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,” the statement said, insisting that “no person with a criminal record would be accepted.”

Antigua Prime Minster Gaston Browne said his country would only accept 10 asylum seekers per year. He added discussions were under way with the United States to about “the restoration of normal visa issuance,” including introducing a biometric system for holders of their passport. The statement said the “authorized consideration” of the third-party migrants is “an act of good faith, reflecting Antigua and Barbuda’s willingness to cooperate with international partners where it is safe, lawful, and consistent with national interests.... This was not a concession, nor an attempt to trade people or curry favor. It was a measured diplomatic gesture, taken alongside many other responsible states, while preserving Antigua and Barbuda’s full discretion and control.”

The decisions come at a moment when there are great divisions and tensions in the region over U.S. boat strikes in the southern Caribbean and the targeting of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who was captured by U.S. forces in an overnight raid Saturday.

Asked about the statements issued by Antigua and Dominica, the State Department spokesperson said, “We have no comment on the details of our diplomatic communications” with other governments.

“Several countries have expressed their commitment to ending the crisis of illegal immigration, including through acceptance of third-country nationals, in addition to facilitating the repatriation of their own nationals,” the spokesperson said. “Our partners in the region are working closely with us to end the crisis of illegal immigration.”