Guyana to receive migrants under new agreement with US

Guyana and the United States have finalized a migration cooperation framework under which Guyana will receive a limited, vetted number of skilled and non-criminal individuals through the International Organization for Migration’s Assisted Voluntary Return Programme.

The Guyanese government said it will review each proposed relocation and can reject any individual. It said it intends to accept only people who voluntarily choose to move to Guyana. The United States will cover the full cost of relocation, while the IOM will handle receiving, housing and supporting those who arrive.

The IOM will also help relocated individuals communicate with legal representatives and family members and support their integration. The Guyanese government stressed that it will not bear the programme’s financial cost, and that the arrangement does not transfer its responsibilities for admission, legal stay, protection or removal to the IOM.

The framework is temporary and does not constitute permanent resettlement. Individuals will remain in Guyana while authorities determine their immigration status. Depending on the outcome, they will either return to their country of origin or move elsewhere of their choosing. The government said their presence would be governed by predefined terms rather than open-ended residency.

Guyana said the framework reflected its commitment to human rights and international cooperation. It also described the agreement as the latest expression of its partnership with the United States, which it said had expanded across energy, trade, investment, security and diplomacy under President Irfaan Ali’s administration.