Former Vincentian Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said that during his tenure, he flatly turned down a request from the Trump administration for the federation to accept third-country deportees, citing serious security concerns as the primary reason.
Now opposition leader and the Unity Labor Party (ULP)’s only representative in parliament following a humiliating defeat in general elections last November, Gonsalves said any administration he leads would not allow the US to dump deportees on his federation with the Grenadines. Gonsalves, 79, had run the country from 2001, making him one of the longest-serving heads of government in modern regional history.
“They came to me with that when I was prime minister. And I told them no, and I say you can talk to me, and I’ll show you that it’s not in your interest. Not only that I can’t do it, it’s not in my interest, it’s not in your interest either. Let us assume it’s a small number we taking, 10, 12 a year. That’s not gonna move the needle. The U.S. has tens of thousands of deportees. The Caribbean intake would be symbolically useful but practically insignificant,” he argued.
Gonsalves emphasized his concerns regarding national security, noting that St. Vincent and the wider region have valid reasons to be apprehensive. “If these individuals arrive, there is a risk that a few may have criminal backgrounds and could collaborate with others involved in criminal activities across the Caribbean. This could exacerbate security challenges in the region,” he told Observer Radio.
His remarks have come as Washington has upped the pressure on a string of Caribbean Community nations to accept so-called third-country deportees, meaning detained people whose native countries would reject their return, or involving those who do not want to return home for safety and other reasons. American authorities say those being sent to the Caribbean include visa overstays, some whose asylum claims have been rejected, and others with misdemeanor offenses.
Caribbean leaders, including Grenada’s Dickon Mitchell, Terrance Drew of St. Kitts, and Gaston Browne of Antigua, have said the U.S. must fund airfare, housing, and general maintenance for deportees, as these costs are not covered by national budgets. Others say they would welcome the deportees, especially if they possess high-end skills like engineering, information and technology qualifications and training.
“What they want to do, they want to tick a box and tell the larger Latin American countries, look, these nationalist Caribbean countries have decided to help us. Why can’t you help us?” Gonsalves stated.
