Cuban and Afghan immigrants deported from US under Trump arrive in Guyana

Guyana became the third country to accept migrants deported from the United States on Friday, according to a U.S. official who spoke to CBS News. The South American nation received a small group of Afghan and Cuban deportees expelled by the Trump administration, the official revealed. Guyana is among over 30 countries that have signed agreements with the U.S. to accept deportees who are not their own citizens.

The Guyanese government announced that those relocated to the country via the "Assisted Voluntary Return Program" will await their immigration case outcomes in Guyana. They may eventually return to their country of origin or be moved elsewhere. The U.N. International Organization for Migration is overseeing the program, and the Guyanese government will not cover housing or support costs.

Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud confirmed that six Cuban and Afghan nationals arrived on Friday after passing Guyana's vetting process and found to have no criminal records. Persaud stated that the agreement was reached after months of negotiations, and that the U.S. has not made further requests. The arrangement is set to last for a year and does not amount to permanent resettlement.

Guyana, a founding member of the 15-nation Caribbean Community, joins other member states like St. Kitts and Nevis, Belize, and St. Lucia, which were set to receive their first groups of U.S. deportees this week. Human rights advocates have criticized third-country deportations as inhumane and potentially illegal under international law, alleging that some countries return deportees to their countries of origin where they faced persecution.

The Trump administration, however, defended the deportations, claiming they are a legal and effective method to deter illegal immigration.