Six Afghans and Cubans deported from US transferred to Guyana
Guyana’s authorities said six citizens of Afghanistan and Cuba who had been deported from the United States arrived in the country on Friday under a one-year agreement between Washington and Georgetown.
Guyana’s Foreign Minister Robert Persaud said the individuals entered Guyana after background checks and had no criminal records. According to the Associated Press, most of them had been deported from the US over violations related to immigration laws.
He said the agreement was reached after several months of talks and does not mean these people will be permanently resettled in Guyana. He added that they will remain in Guyana until their immigration status is clarified, after which they may be returned to their home countries or transferred elsewhere.
Persaud also said the programme is being implemented by the International Organization for Migration and that Guyana is not paying for the individuals’ accommodation or support. He added that the United States has not yet made any new request to transfer other deported people to Guyana.
The move comes as part of the transfer of deported migrants from the US to third countries. On 29 August, the US also deported dozens of migrants, including 12 Afghan nationals, eight Iranian nationals and several citizens of Nepal and Nicaragua, to the Central African Republic.
Guyana is located in northern South America, and Georgetown is its capital. The International Organization for Migration is also one of the bodies involved in international migration and migrant support processes.
