Guyana has become the latest nation to accept migrants deported from the United States who are not its own citizens. A U.S. official confirmed the South American country received a small group of Afghan and Cuban deportees under an agreement with the Trump administration. Guyana joins more than 30 other nations that have signed similar third-country removal deals.
The Guyanese government stated that individuals arriving under the "Assisted Voluntary Return Program" will stay in Guyana while awaiting the outcome of their immigration cases. The government noted that the U.N. International Organization for Migration is responsible for implementing the program and that Guyana will not pay for housing or support costs. Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud stated that the six individuals who arrived on Friday were vetted and found to have no criminal backgrounds.
These transfers are part of a broader Trump administration policy to expand third-country removals, particularly for those who cannot be returned to their home countries due to risks of persecution or torture. According to a February 2025 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) memo, officials were instructed to review cases of individuals granted "withholding of removal"—a protection for those likely to face harm in their home countries—to determine if they could instead be detained and deported to a third country.
For a person in the U.S. immigration system, this policy changes the outcome of legal victories. Previously, individuals granted "withholding of removal" were often released from detention and monitored while remaining in the U.S. because they could not be sent home. Under current protocols, these individuals may instead face indefinite detention while the U.S. seeks a third country to accept them. A person might notice a sudden transfer to a country where they have no family or cultural ties, sometimes with little warning or the ability to notify legal counsel or family.
The policy sets a precedent for using third countries as processing hubs or long-term residences for displaced populations. Human rights groups like Refugees International and Human Rights First argue the practice risks "chain refoulement," where a third country might eventually return a person to the danger they originally fled. The U.S. government maintains these deals are legal and necessary for deterrence, requiring "diplomatic assurances" that deportees will not be mistreated. Further transfers are expected as the U.S. continues negotiations with countries like Uruguay and the Bahamas, while a one-year arrangement with Guyana remains in effect.