Caricom summit tackles the controversial US-TCN issue

An issue which has become a controversial topic of debate throughout the Caribbean, especially in countries which have or are negotiating third-country nationals (TCN) deportee arrangements with the United States, has landed on the Caricom Summit agenda.

Regional leaders have issued a joint statement on the contentious issue coming out of last week’s annual Caricom summit held in St Lucia this year.

Heads of Government considered common concerns across the region regarding the capacity of small countries to manage the transit of TCNs. The regional leaders stressed, however, that every effort would be made to ensure that TCN arrangements do not disrupt the security of countries in the Region or divert resources and services from the citizens of respective countries,” the statement said.

It also said that Heads of Government highlighted the fact that the proposed MOUs were intended to provide for the transit of individuals without criminal antecedents to their home countries rather than settlement in Member States and emphasised the need for citizens of the Region to understand the distinction. “They further agreed that every effort should be made to engage CARICOM citizens on these issues. They also affirmed their commitment to the principles of safe, orderly and regular migration, and to the dignity of migrants.”

According to the statement, the regional leaders noted the longstanding cooperation and close partnership with the United States of America and acknowledged the importance attached to the proposed MOUs by the United States of America. They noted that some CARICOM countries had already signed, while others were in discussions with the government of the United States of America. They also noted that 30 countries globally had already signed TCN MOUs.

In the region, the issue has been the subject of heated debate socially and across the political spectrum over concerns that the US Trump administration is pressuring the countries into accepting its deportees against threats of visa restrictions and other means of diplomatic isolation.

Regional countries are insisting that they are not prepared to accept violent criminal deportees and others they consider unsuitable.

For Antigua & Barbuda, which is one of the regional countries at the forefront of the issue, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has stated, “We’re fighting to ensure that they do not send any criminal elements here.” Mr Browne insisted that while leaving the door open, some could be integrated,”The moral high ground we can take is on the issue of criminality, or if they are extremely ill.”

Jamaica has adopted a similar stance, with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr Horace Chang, asserting: “To consider that I would bring criminals into Jamaica, from anywhere, of any kind, after we have done all we have done to reduce crime and violence, it is ridiculous.”

Over 30 countries have concluded TCN agreements with the US, including several in the Caribbean: Antigua & Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia and Jamaica.