Six Cuban and Afghan Deportees Arrive in Guyana Under US Third-Country Deal

Guyana has accepted six individuals deported from the United States, confirming the arrival of Cuban and Afghan nationals on Saturday. Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud announced that the group arrived due to immigration issues and emphasized that there are no current requests from Washington for additional non-citizen deportations to be sent to the South American nation.

Persaud stated that none of the deportees have criminal records. Their removal is part of President Donald Trump’s broader enforcement agenda, which he championed during his 2024 re-election campaign with promises to execute the “largest deportation programme of criminals in the history of America.” The agreement allowing Guyana to receive these individuals followed months of negotiations and is valid for one year, Persaud clarified, noting that it does not offer permanent resettlement.

According to Amnesty International, more than 30 countries, including 15 in the Americas, have entered into similar deportation agreements since Trump returned to office. Third-country deportations involve relocating foreign nationals to destinations other than their home countries, a practice that often leaves detainees unfamiliar with the local language and culture. The Trump administration has justified expanding these arrangements by citing nations like Cuba that have refused to accept US deportees.

Critics, including human rights organizations, have condemned the practice as a tactic to pressure migrants into abandoning their US immigration claims. Data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University indicates that approximately 70.6% of foreign nationals in US immigration detention lack criminal convictions, reflecting the widening scope of Trump’s second-term deportation efforts.

Concerns have also been raised regarding the safety and stability of countries receiving deportees, many of which face poverty, conflict, or human rights abuses. The six individuals in Guyana will be supported through the Assisted Voluntary Return Programme managed by the UN International Organisation for Migration. They will remain in Guyana while awaiting the resolution of their immigration cases, with the option to eventually return to their countries of origin or seek relocation elsewhere.

Trump’s administration has simultaneously moved to restrict legal immigration pathways, canceling programs such as Temporary Protected Status and humanitarian parole for tens of thousands of migrants. Reports suggest the administration also plans to revoke visas for roughly 200,000 asylum seekers, exposing them to potential deportation even when conditions in their home countries remain unstable or dangerous.