Former St. Vincent leader Ralph Gonsalves has detailed how he firmly rejected a proposal from United States officials to accept third-country deportees, including non-Vincentian criminal offenders and refugees, while serving in office.
Speaking on the Corie Sheppard Podcast, Gonsalves explained that U.S. officials requested St. Vincent accept nationals from other countries whom the U.S. sought to deport.
“I immediately rejected the proposal regarding refugees, under international law, any nation that grants refugee status is legally obligated to retain those individuals”.
Addressing the request to take non-national criminal deportees, Gonsalves argued that accepting even small numbers—such as 5 to 10 individuals annually would accumulate to 50 within five years, posing severe risks to the stability of a small nation.
He cautioned U.S. representatives that such relocations could destabilize the region and lead to “multiple Haitis,” stressing that the policy served neither nation’s long-term interests.
Highlighting existing challenges with deportations, Gonsalves pointed to past experiences receiving deported Vincentian nationals. He noted that U.S. authorities consistently failed to provide background history or antecedents on individuals prior to their return.
Without access to criminal histories, local authorities were forced to reintegrate returnees blindly, creating serious public safety hazards if an individual happened to be a violent offender or psychopath.
Gonsalves also challenged the fundamental asymmetry of the proposed arrangement, questioning why the U.S. sought to recruit St. Vincent’s “best and brightest”—such as computer scientists—while attempting to offload foreign criminal “dregs” onto the island nation.
While reaffirming his admiration for American civilization, Gonsalves stated he could not allow such an arrangement and firmly refused the U.S. proposal to safeguard his country.
