The Government of Guyana has confirmed the conclusion of a migration cooperation framework with the United States of America, under which Guyana will receive a limited, vetted number of skilled and non-criminal individuals from other countries. This will be done through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Assisted Voluntary Return Programme.
Under the framework, Guyana retains full discretion to review and reject any individual proposed for relocation, while the United States will bear the full cost of the relocation process.
In a statement on Saturday, the Government of Guyana said it “intends to accept only individuals who have chosen relocation to Guyana of their own volition.”
According to a statement from the Government, the IOM, the UN Migration Agency, will be responsible for the operational implementation of the programme. IOM will cover the costs of receiving, housing and supporting individuals relocated to Guyana, and will provide the services needed for their integration, including access to communication with legal representatives and family members.
“The Government of Guyana will not bear the financial cost of the programme. IOM has confirmed that it will not assume, and that this arrangement will not transfer to it, any of the Government’s responsibilities concerning admission, legal stay, protection or removal,” according to the statement.
The Government has framed the arrangement as an extension of Guyana’s longstanding commitment to human rights and international cooperation.
It insisted that individuals relocated to Guyana must retain the right to seek international protection where applicable. The IOM will support the referral of such cases to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in coordination with the relevant Guyanese authorities.
The statement also confirmed regular, effective and sufficiently private access to communication with legal representatives and family members.
The arrangement, according to the statement “is temporary in nature and does not constitute permanent resettlement” as they will await the outcome of their immigration status determination while in Guyana.
Depending on the outcome, individuals will either return to their country of origin or relocate elsewhere of their choosing. Their presence in Guyana is governed by a set of pre-defined terms rather than open-ended residency, the statement noted.
The Government of Guyana said it will continue to work closely with the IOM, the UNHCR and relevant domestic stakeholders to ensure the framework is implemented in a manner consistent with Guyana’s laws, its human rights obligations and its national development priorities.
