St Lucia Joins Growing LAC Push to Accept US Migrants

• St Lucia is set to become the latest Caribbean country to participate in the United States’ (U.S.) third-country nationals (TCN) programme, with the first six migrants arriving this week under an agreement that will see the island receive up to 10 people per quarter over the next two years. The government said the individuals will either be voluntarily repatriated to their countries of origin or supported in integrating into St Lucia if they choose to remain.
• The arrangement forms part of a broader regional trend, with several Caribbean countries pursuing similar agreements with Washington, albeit under different terms. Jamaica has agreed to receive up to 25 TCNs every two weeks, while Panama and Costa Rica have also accepted transfers, with Costa Rica so far receiving hundreds of people under its agreement (25 deported migrants a week). Meanwhile, Antigua and Barbuda has stressed that its non-binding understanding with the U.S. has not yet been operationalised.
• For the smaller Caribbean states involved, however, the issue extends beyond migration policy to questions of capacity, security and the potential economic and diplomatic benefits of closer cooperation with the U.S.
• CARICOM leaders have acknowledged the importance of the US relationship while cautioning that third-country arrangements must not overwhelm national resources, undermine security or divert services from citizens. They have also emphasised that the agreements are intended primarily to facilitate transit to migrants’ home countries rather than permanent settlement.

(Sources: Caribbean Today, JIS, The Guardian, Third Party Deportation Watch)