US$7.7M for Guyana to take in U.S. deportees

Sep 18, 2026 News

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…money to fund resettlement, reintegration – U.S. official 

By Khadidja Ba

(Kaieteur News) – A U.S. official has confirmed with Kaieteur News that the United States Department of State provided US$7,740,215.00 to support the resettlement and integration of third-country nationals deported from the United States to Guyana.

The payout, earmarked strictly for financial and technical support over a two-year period, is being handled directly by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) as the official implementer. Under IOM’s oversight, individuals will receive counselling and education on their options to return to their origin countries, with temporary basic necessities, including accommodation, food, clothing, and household items, provided to those opting for return. President Irfaan Ali firmly assured that “neither Guyana nor IOM will facilitate forced removal.”

Despite the sum attached to the newly finalised framework, no member of the Guyanese government has provided an official, detailed breakdown regarding the precise operational scope, administrative costs, or local resource allocations. Instead, the administration of President Irfaan Ali has chosen to focus public statements entirely on border sovereignty, labour needs, and human rights vetting.

Addressing the mounting public criticism, questions surrounding financial implications, and allegations of secrecy, President Ali stated at a news conference on Monday that Georgetown’s participation hinges directly on U.S. financial backing. “It must be a joint effort,” Ali said, stressing that Guyana should not be expected to shoulder the costs of receiving and integrating deportees.

President Ali also pushed back against what he termed social media mischaracterisations, clarifying the strict parameters of the arrangement. He emphasised that the agreement strictly limits eligibility to “third-country nationals with expedited or final orders of removal” who have obtained proper medical clearance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Explicitly barred from the arrangement are unaccompanied children under age 18, Guyanese nationals, individuals with pending U.S. asylum claims, and individuals with known violent criminal records.

Stressing Guyana’s unyielding authority throughout the process, President Ali made clear that “the Government of Guyana retains complete discretion to approve or deny individuals proposed for removal.” Transfers are governed by rigorous security protocols, the U.S. must furnish complete criminal and health histories, after which Guyana conducts its own assessments. Kaieteur News confirmed with U.S. officials that Guyana selects candidates from a list, and no one is sent without explicit approval from Georgetown. Final flight manifests must be supplied prior to departure, transfers must be accompanied by U.S. Homeland Security personnel, and Guyana reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone not previously approved.

Speaking in a separate interview with Al Jazeera, President Ali rejected assertions that Guyana is acting as a dumping ground for Washington’s immigration backlogs or compromising its human rights standing. “I don’t see this as a business. Of course, everything in life has an element of risk,” President Ali stated. “We do our own vetting to our own satisfaction… This is not a situation where the U.S. turns up with a plane and just throws people off on your shores.”

However, government assurances stand in stark contrast to comments from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who previously stated: “We are actively searching for other countries to take people from third-world countries… We are working with other countries to say we want to send you some of the most despicable human beings to your countries, would you do that as a favour to us. And the further away from America, the better so they can’t come back across the border. I’m not apologetic about it. The President [Trump] was elected to keep America safe and to get rid of a bunch of perverts, paedophiles and child rapists out of our country…”

The confirmation of funding follows the arrival on Friday,4^th September of an initial cohort of six non-citizen deportees, four from Cuba and two from Afghanistan. Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud confirmed that all six underwent rigorous background checks to ensure no criminal histories. Persaud noted that accepting skilled, vetted migrants aligns with Guyana’s rapid, oil-driven economic expansion, which currently faces an estimated labour shortage of 70,000 to 80,000 workers. He added that the U.S. has made no further requests for additional third-country deportations at this time, and U.S. Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot expressed Washington’s gratitude for Guyana’s assistance.

Official government statements released on Saturday, 5^th September, outlined that the framework operates under a strictly temporary one-year timeframe and explicitly excludes permanent resettlement. Admitted individuals will ultimately return to their country of origin or relocate to a third country of their choice, retaining the right to seek international protection through local civil society, the IOM, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Guyana joins an expanding list of CARICOM partners who are to receive non-citizen deportees under U.S. initiatives. While global rights groups like Amnesty International, Refugees International, and Human Rights First warn that third-country removals carry severe risks of unlawful repatriation, the Trump administration has defended the policy under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) as a national security mechanism. According to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) document dated 24^th August, 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) estimates that over 21,000 individuals have been removed to third countries under the policy to date, despite ongoing legal challenges in U.S. federal courts.

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• deportees, Guyana-U.S., reintegration, resettlement

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