By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Intensifying parliamentary pressure on the executive, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament and Shadow Minister of Home Affairs Sherod Duncan is demanding that the Government of Guyana immediately table the full, unredacted text of its controversial third-country deportation agreement with the United States in the National Assembly.
Duncan’s call for public disclosure follows revelation after revelation by United States Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot, who confirmed on Wednesday that the bilateral resettlement pact spans a binding two-year period, involves US$7.8 million channeled through the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and envisions an ongoing operational schedule of up to one deportation flight per month.
The opposition contends that the diplomatic disclosures confirm the deal is far more extensive than the administration initially admitted to the Guyanese electorate, transforming what was described as a limited humanitarian accommodation into a sustained, multi-year transnational transfer corridor executed entirely without parliamentary debate or legislative scrutiny.
The ‘Monthly Pipeline’ Allegation: From Six Arrivals to Ongoing Transfers
Speaking on the implications of Ambassador Theriot’s disclosures, MP Duncan criticized the administration for concealing the operational scale of the pact from citizens and legislators:
- The Disclosed Parameters: Ambassador Theriot confirmed on the sidelines of the 27th INTERPOL Americas Regional Conference that Washington earmarked US$7.8 million over 24 months, with operational plans to send one flight every month, subject to advance vetting and clearance by Guyanese authorities.
- The “Monthly Pipeline”: Duncan argued that committing Guyana to prospective monthly deportation rotations without prior parliamentary approval bypasses constitutional oversight, exposing domestic public systems and national security to unaccounted-for liabilities.
- Nationalities Confirmed: The first cohort of six transferees who landed in Georgetown three weeks ago comprised Cuban and Afghan nationals.
Vetting Realities: Initial Manifests Pruned by Local Authorities
While Duncan flagged the absence of transparency, diplomatic clarifications made clear that the Government of Guyana has not ceded sovereign control over incoming entries:
- Sovereign Discretion Exercised: Ambassador Theriot said the initial manifest submitted by Washington included far more individuals than the six transferees accepted in the first wave.
- Rejection of Inadmissible Candidates: Guyanese intelligence and immigration authorities conducted independent security vetting and systematically refused to clear several names proposed by the United States.
- Strict Criminal Bar: The Ambassador reiterated that the Guyanese government established a firm policy benchmark that no individuals with recorded criminal convictions will be permitted entry under the agreement.
- Variable Intakes: Diplomatic officials clarified that while monthly flights were contemplated in operational planning, there is no rigid contractual mandate that a fixed numerical quota of deportees must arrive every single month, as each individual requires affirmative ministerial clearance before departure from the United States.
Bypassing Parliament: The Call for Tabling
For the parliamentary opposition, executive vetting powers do not negate the legal necessity of constitutional accountability:
- Demand for Immediate Tabling: Duncan insisted that Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond or Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd must lay the formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) before the National Assembly to allow elected lawmakers to examine the state’s reciprocal obligations.
- Post-Stay Status and Funding Oversight: Lawmakers are questioning what legal status transferees will hold if they remain in Guyana beyond the two-year financing horizon, what happens after the US$7.8 million IOM fund expires, and what legal pathways exist if third countries refuse repatriation.
With the first group of Cuban and Afghan transferees already undergoing transition processing under IOM oversight, the political focus now shifts to whether the administration will yield to opposition demands and lay the agreement before the National Assembly when sittings resume.
