St. Lucia will receive its first group of migrants from the United States later this week under a third-country nationals program established through a bilateral agreement between the two countries, the government announced Monday.
Foreign Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs Minister Alva Baptiste said six people — five men and one woman — will be permitted to enter St. Lucia as part of the program.
“Over the next two years, St. Lucia will receive up to 10 persons each quarter,” Baptiste told the weekly Cabinet news conference.
He said the arrangement followed discussions with Washington after the U.S. government asked St. Lucia to assist with implementing the third-country nationals program.
“The United States remains a strong and valued partner to St. Lucia,” Baptiste said. “Our relationship is built on cooperation and a shared commitment to addressing regional and international challenges responsibly.”
Acknowledging concerns surrounding the agreement, Baptiste stressed that the people being transferred have not been identified as criminals.
“These individuals are not criminals. Their circumstances are administrative,” he said. “They were unable to establish normalcy in their immigration status in the United States and were therefore identified for removal.”
Baptiste said the St. Lucia government is working with the International Organization for Migration to provide the migrants with two options: voluntary repatriation to their countries of origin or, for those who choose to remain in St. Lucia, assistance with following the appropriate legal procedures and integrating into society.
“Our agreement to this programme reflects the values we proudly uphold as a nation,” Baptiste said, citing “compassion, human dignity and respect for fundamental rights as enshrined in the UN Charter.”
He said the government would continue to keep the public informed as the program is implemented.
Baptiste also stressed that the migrants would be treated with dignity upon their arrival in St. Lucia.
“When the migrants from the United States arrive here, we cannot treat them as if they are prisoners,” he said. “We are going to receive them and treat them with respect. The same respect that we expect people from other countries to treat our people when our people go to them.”
Baptiste noted that significant numbers of St. Lucians live overseas and said the country expects its nationals to be treated respectfully abroad.
He added that migration has increasingly become a major political issue as countries impose new restrictions, but said St. Lucia remains obligated under international law to uphold the rights and dignity of migrants.
caribbeannationalweekly.com
