St Lucia signs third-country national migration agreement with US

CASTRIES, St Lucia, CMC – The St Lucia government says it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States regarding the deportation of third-country nationals to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs Minister Alva Baptiste told legislators that the agreement follows discussions that began in 2025, when Washington approached several CARICOM countries about cooperation on immigration-related matters.

Baptiste said that the MOU is non-binding and that any proposed transfer remains at the discretion of both governments.

He confirmed that the agreement was signed in Washington and that its purpose and scope are to memorialise a non-binding understanding between the governments to facilitate the transfer of third-country nationals from the United States to St Lucia.

“The MOU further states at Section 2.1, the Government of the United States of America may in its complete discretion propose to the Government of St Lucia the transfer of such third-country nationals, and the Government of St Lucia may in its complete discretion consider accepting such a proposal in whole or in part,” Baptiste said.

The government said that under the operating procedures, the people who could be transferred would have to meet specific criteria, including third-country nationals with final or expedited orders of removal and people who have received medical authorisation to travel from the US Department of Homeland Security.

But the agreement also identifies people who would not be eligible.

They include unaccompanied children under 18, St Lucian citizens or nationals, and other people with criminal records known to the US government, except where those records relate to violations of US immigration law.

There is also a limit on the number of people who could be transferred, with the two governments having agreed on a preliminary figure of no more than 10 individuals per quarter.

Five days before a proposed removal, the United States is expected to provide St Lucia with a flight manifest.

St Lucia would then have two days to respond with the cases it approves and identify anyone who would not be allowed on the flight.

Baptiste said that one of the most important issues for St Lucia remains money, noting that the Philip J. Pierre government has limited resources and therefore needs to determine exactly what would be required to operate the arrangement without placing an undue burden on the country.

“The major consideration for St Lucia in all this has been the extent to which the United States was committed to financially support the programme it had requested of St Lucia to undertake, taking into account St Lucia’s limited resources and circumstances,” Baptiste told Parliament.

“Given the potential policy, financial and institutional implications of such an arrangement, the government considered it necessary to undertake a comprehensive technical assessment to determine the resources, governance arrangements and financial commitments that would be required to implement the programme effectively,” he added.

Baptiste said Cabinet last week approved a memorandum from the Ministry of External Affairs outlining a comprehensive package of financial requirements for St Lucia to implement the agreement.

The package has been submitted to the US Embassy, and the government is now awaiting Washington’s response.

The agreement also provides for US funding to a competent international organisation to assist with services for people transferred under the MOU.

Baptiste said the government has already engaged the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to finalise that collaboration and that St Lucia is now in the third and final phase of negotiations.

He said the government is moving forward while ensuring that protecting the national interest remains the guiding principle.

The government said that, for now, no immediate transfers have been announced. The process will depend on the outcome of the ongoing negotiations, including agreement on St Lucia’s financial requirements.

Baptiste told legislators that Castries intends to keep the process transparent and provide updates on the matter as the negotiations continue.

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