KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Guyana has announced that six migrants from Afghanistan and Cuba arrived in the country after being deported from the United States.
According to an Associated Press Report, Guyana’s Foreign Minister Robert Persaud said the six people arrived on Friday.
Persaud said the Guyanese government reviewed the individuals’ backgrounds and confirmed that none had a criminal record before agreeing to accept them.
The foreign minister said the six migrants were deported from the United States because of issues related to their immigration status.
According to Persaud, Guyana reached an agreement with the United States to host the migrants following months of negotiations.
He said the agreement will remain in effect for one year and does not mean that the migrants will be permanently resettled in Guyana.
Under the arrangement, migrants transferred to Guyana through a government-supported voluntary return program will remain in the country while their immigration status is determined. They could eventually be returned to their countries of origin or transferred to another country, according to the Associated Press.
Guyanese officials said the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is responsible for implementing the program, while the Guyanese government will not bear the costs of housing or supporting the migrants.
Guyana is a small country in northeastern South America and the Caribbean region. It has reached an agreement with the United States to accept some migrants who have been deported from the country.
The United States has been seeking to hold some deported migrants in so-called “return centers” in third countries while their cases are processed. Washington has been negotiating similar arrangements with several countries as part of its broader immigration enforcement efforts.
The move comes amid broader shifts in US immigration and foreign policy under President Donald Trump. Shortly after taking office in January 2025, Trump signed an executive order pausing refugee admissions to the United States, including for Afghans who assisted American forces.
In November 2025, following a shooting in Washington involving an Afghan national who killed a US National Guard member and injured another, Trump ordered a halt to all Afghan settlement programs and visa issuance for Afghan passport holders. He also directed a full review of Afghans admitted to the United States during the Biden administration.
These policy changes affected thousands of Afghans awaiting relocation to the United States from third countries, including former interpreters, contractors, and civil society workers who supported U.S. operations over two decades. Many remain at risk under Taliban rule or are stranded in neighboring countries with limited legal protections.
Refugee advocacy groups, US lawmakers, UN officials, and human rights organizations have expressed concern over the US approach, urging the administration to continue offering protection to Afghans at risk and reverse policies that block their resettlement to the United States.
