Eastern Caribbean leaders agree to coordinate negotiations on U.S deportee request

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has agreed to establish a broad-based, high-level advisory team to guide negotiations with the United States over requests for member states to accept a limited number of non-criminal third-country nationals and refugees.

Speaking at the conclusion of the 78th OECS Authority meeting on Monday, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday said the request from Washington comes during a period of "profound geopolitical uncertainty" and requires a unified regional response.

"We are in a time of profound geopolitical uncertainty, arguably the most consequential our region has faced in a generation. The wider tensions in our hemisphere hold profound implications for our security, our energy supply, the cost of living, our migration flows, and our diplomatic relations," Friday told the summit.

He said the issue is "a delicate and serious matter" that demands careful consideration because of its potential impact on the region.

"Very early on in the year, we were required to consider and navigate the delicate and serious matter of the request from our development partner and friend, the United States, that our member states assist them by accepting persons deported from the USA who were not our own citizens," Friday said.

"We are still working through this matter very carefully because it holds serious implications for our economy, the safety of our people, the utilisation of scarce resources and for our sovereignty."

Friday said OECS member states agreed to work together to secure the best possible outcome.

"Accordingly, we agreed to establish a broad-based, high-level advisory team drawn from across our member states, to carry on technical discussions amongst themselves that guided our negotiations with the United States, individually and collectively."

He added that the region's small island states are especially vulnerable to global developments.

"What may be mere tremors for large nations are experienced as earthquakes by us, small island developing states. We, therefore, suffer the consequences worst and the longest," Friday said.

Meanwhile, OECS Chairman and Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said his government will not agree to a proposal to accept 120 deportees from the United States.

Addressing fellow leaders, Browne described the ongoing discussions with Washington as akin to "the deployment of economic coercion as an instrument of foreign policy."

He said Antigua and Barbuda has made it clear that it will not accept criminal deportees.

"As I have said to them, as the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, I cannot willingly cooperate with any other power, any country, to destroy our beautiful twin island state. And we have insisted that we will not accept any criminal elements. At the same time, we want to limit the amount of individuals who they send to this country," Browne said.

He stressed that Antigua and Barbuda remains willing to cooperate with U.S. authorities but has rejected the proposed number.

"We are not being uncooperative here, but this idea that they could send us 120 individuals, we have said to them this is totally unacceptable, and we have sent them a counter-proposal."

"We said that we'll accept 10 annually. No more than 10," Browne added.

The OECS position comes days after Jamaica confirmed it is also negotiating an agreement with the United States to accept a limited number of non-criminal third-country nationals and refugees.

Last Wednesday, National Security and Peace Minister Dr. Horace Chang said Jamaica had signed, "after extensive negotiations...an agreement to transition to Jamaica, some third-country nationals from the United States."

"The number is 25. It's an understanding, and at no time will the number exceed 25, because we have the right to refuse anyone at any time, and both parties can terminate the entire agreement without any long-term notice," Chang said.

Chang also dismissed media reports that the government only disclosed the agreement after claims were leaked that Jamaica had agreed to accept 10,000 deportees from the United States.