While indicating that Guyana has already rejected a number of persons submitted by the US Government for resettlement as part of the third-country deportee agreement, the US Ambassador to Guyana has revealed that the agreement runs for two years.

Under the agreement, the US will provide US$7.8 million to assist with the resettling of those accepted by Guyana. That resettlement will include housing, health and in some cases, job training.

Three weeks ago, Guyana received six third-country deportees as part of the agreement. Under that agreement, Guyana has agreed to accept third-country nationals with no criminal record.

US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, told reporters this morning that Guyana has the right to reject any of the names submitted by the United States, and has already done so.

“On the last manifest, you would know that only six people came, and the manifest was quite large. So, a lot of people were rejected. The Government here has said that they will not take anyone with a criminal record, which is absolutely appropriate, and within their rights. And they made the determination based on the information that we provided and also the information from the database that they use as part of CARICOM as well and so they are able to vet these people using their own intelligence”, Theriot said.

The opposition parties in Guyana and other groups have been calling on the Government of Guyana to make the agreement public. There has been no move in that direction.

Former President, Donald Ramotar, who opposes the agreement to accept third-country deportees, has also issued a call for the agreement to be made public. He said persons who are seen as undesirables in the US should be seen as the same in Guyana, except for those who were born in Guyana.

The US Ambassador explained that the two-year, US$7.8 million contract covers a number of areas.

“So it covers IOM (International Organisation for Migration) helping for those individuals to be resettled, either permanently or until they can go back to their home country. It also provides for job skills training, if that’s something that is needed, if the person doesn’t have the skills that are useful here in Guyana, it provides for that as well. 
So it’s comprehensive, and all of their well-being. It’s health and medical. It is housing, it is food, it is communications, it is making sure they can communicate with their families. 
It is a comprehensive package. IOM does this all over the world, and they do it extremely well”, Theriot said.

She said the agreement also provides for those accepted by Guyana to choose Guyana as their new home and resettle here permanently or be allowed to remain here until they are in a position to return to their home country.

The Government of Guyana would have the final say on those decisions, according to the agreement. Guyana is among a number of CARICOM states that have signed on to the agreement with the US Government.

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