GUYANA · MIGRATION

Six people removed from the United States have landed in Georgetown under an arrangement nobody outside the government has been allowed to read.

The Parliament Building in Georgetown. The National Assembly is not sitting and has not debated the arrangement. (Photo: “Parliament Georgetown Guyana” by Kevin Gabbert – User: (WT-shared) Kevin James at wts wikivoyage, via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.)

Guyana has begun receiving people deported from the United States who are not its own citizens. Six arrived on Friday 4 September.

Four are Cuban and two are Afghan. They are aged between 20 and 36.

The foreign ministry confirmed the arrangement in a statement the following day. It calls the deal a migration cooperation framework.

What the Government Says Is in It

The arrangement runs for one year in the first instance. No source says whether it can be renewed.

Only third-country nationals are covered. People removed to their own country of citizenship are a separate and long-standing stream.

The ministry says the United States bears the full cost. Georgetown says it will not pay.

The International Organization for Migration runs the programme on the ground. It provides accommodation, access to legal contact and referrals to the UN refugee agency.

Participation is described as voluntary. The government says it screens every case and keeps full discretion to reject anyone proposed.

How Many People Are Involved

The government has not published a number. Demerara Waves reported a ceiling of 144 people over the year.

That figure does not appear in the ministry statement or in the wire coverage. It should be read as one outlet’s reporting rather than an official limit.

The Guyana Human Rights Association says the government has not disclosed a number at all. Six remains the only confirmed arrival total.

Georgetown’s timber colonial architecture. The capital is home to most of the country’s public institutions. (Photo: “Colonial buildings – Georgetown (23024270583)” by Dan Sloan, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.)

Who Is Objecting

Three opposition parties have raised concerns, and so has a rights group. They are not speaking as a bloc.

Odessa Primus of the WIN party said the government should make the information available. She said she was unsure what crimes, if any, had been committed.

She described the reported figure as an influx. She argued it would strain health services, electricity supply and a police force already under pressure.

Amanza Walton-Desir of the Forward Guyana Movement wants the agreement laid before the National Assembly. She asked whether those arriving could later seek residency or citizenship.

Ganesh Mahipaul of APNU asked about housing, monitoring and complaint mechanisms. He said the country can be compassionate without being careless.

The rights association went further, saying the arrangement may breach the constitution. It cited Article 141, the international covenant on civil and political rights, and the torture convention.

It said the government had failed to explain the legal basis for accepting an undisclosed number of people. It demanded the full text.

Criticism is not confined to the opposition. Donald Ramotar, a former president from the governing party, called the deal disgraceful.

The Text Is Still Secret

The agreement has not been published in any form. Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed wants it brought to parliament.

The National Assembly is not currently sitting. Mohamed says the matter is queued for the reconvening.

Every safeguard described so far rests on the government’s own account. Nobody outside it has seen the document.

The Official Account

Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud briefed the Associated Press. He said the United States had not made any further requests.

He has said the six were vetted, had no criminal record and were removed on immigration grounds. He also says the arrangement is not permanent resettlement.

US Ambassador Nicole Theriot thanked the government publicly. She said the two sides had been working on the arrangement for many months.

That timeline matches the November 2025 note. It undercuts any suggestion the deal was struck suddenly.

The Regional Pattern

This is not the first such deal in the region. Panama signed on 2 February 2025 and El Salvador the day after.

Guatemala followed on 5 February and Costa Rica on 17 February. Paraguay signed in August 2025 and Belize in October.

Ecuador signed on 17 November 2025. A St Lucia agreement was reported in August 2026, capped at ten people a quarter.

Several other Caribbean governments are reported to be at memorandum stage. Those arrangements have not been confirmed as signed.

Why It Matters

Guyana has a small population and a very large new oil income. Critics argue the services strain is real even at modest numbers.

Supporters point out that Washington is carrying the cost. The argument is about consent and disclosure rather than money.

For foreign residents nothing changes at the border. Entry rules and visa policy are unaffected.

The unresolved question is what the document actually commits the country to. Until it is published, that cannot be answered.

More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Guyana agree to?

To receive a limited number of vetted third-country nationals deported from the United States, under a framework its foreign ministry confirmed on 5 September 2026.

How many people have arrived?

Six, on Friday 4 September 2026: four Cubans and two Afghans, aged 20 to 36.

Is there a cap?

Demerara Waves reported a ceiling of 144 people over one year. The government has not confirmed any figure publicly.

Who pays?

The foreign ministry says the United States bears the full cost, with the International Organization for Migration providing housing and support.

Has parliament approved it?

No. The National Assembly is not sitting and the text of the agreement has not been published.

Sources: INews Guyana, Kaieteur News, Demerara Waves, Guyana Times, CBS News, Latin Times, Jamaica Gleaner, AS/COA.