Opposition Leader Ralph Gonsalves has confirmed that his administration engaged in direct discussions with the United States government on proposals for the acceptance of third-country refugees and deportees, but firmly rejected the idea, arguing that it posed serious risks to small island states and offered little benefit to United States.
Speaking on Wednesday, Gonsalves outlined the case he said he made to US officials, stressing that St. Vincent and the Grenadines would not accept third-country nationals under such arrangements.
He warned that even a small influx of foreign deportees could have disproportionate and potentially catastrophic consequences for micro-states. “Out of a dozen deportees, four or five vagabonds could link up with local criminal elements and become professors of crime,” Gonsalves said, adding that he cautioned US officials the policy could create “six other Haitis in the Caribbean, not just one.”
Gonsalves argued that the absorption capacity of Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States members is extremely limited, estimating that each country might only manage 10 to 12 refugees per year. Such numbers, he said, are negligible when weighed against the scale of the US immigration challenge.
“I told them plainly it is not in your interest for us to accept,” he stated. “The instability created would outweigh any minor relief provided to the US immigration system.”
He also raised concerns about sovereignty and operational control, noting that once an agreement is signed, the receiving country effectively loses authority over who arrives. According to Gonsalves, the US controls the intelligence and transportation, meaning that once individuals land at Argyle International Airport, local authorities have little practical ability to reject specific persons.
On the issue of deported Vincentian nationals, Gonsalves said his government continues to accept its citizens “in accordance with international law,” but maintains a longstanding demand for full background information. He claimed that the US frequently fails to provide the complete histories of those being returned.
The former prime minister also took aim at other Caribbean governments that are reportedly preparing to sign similar agreements. He suggested their willingness stems from economic vulnerability linked to Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes.
“These countries are selling passports and selling citizenship,” Gonsalves said, arguing that fear of losing US favour or visa access has led some governments to “roll over and play dead.” He warned that such compliance could invite escalating demands, erode national sovereignty, and eventually reduce regional parliaments to “local government assemblies.”
Gonsalves’ comments come amid growing regional unease over external pressure on migration and security policy, with small states weighing economic dependence against long-term stability and self-determination.
1 Comment
With regard to accepting deportees, I would have taken the same position for the same reasons and more. Now that Dominica, Belize, Barbados and SVG have open borders, those US deportees in Dominica would have access to our countries with undesirable individuals having easy access to our territory. More than that it is also an avenue to destabilize our fragile democracy with ‘agents of evil’ under the guise of ‘deportee’.
Keep them out ! Why should we be cleaning up the mess the US created.
Look what they did to Venezuela, first strangle their economy with oil embargoes, which in turn created internal unrest, forcing many to flee to the same US that created the problem, then use the media to demonize the leadership and then illegally kidnap their president on false drug and gun charges, while at the end of the day all the United snakes of Amerika wanted free access to is/was Venezuelan crude. A crude method to steal oil that does not belong to you only because they have the superior military power. The US policymakers are a bunch of international criminals whose days are numbered !
Keep your deportees, spies and agents of disorder. This is one area where the incumbent needs to resist US policy, … small as we are, we can be the David to the belligerent Goliath !