Countries must accept return of nationals no longer eligible to remain in US

Each country has an international obligation to accept the return of its nationals who are not eligible to remain in the United States (US) or any other country.

This is the view of the United States, which that country made clear in a release issued Wednesday.{{more}}

The release, issued by the United States Embassy for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, said the US only deports convicted criminals back to their country of origin in consultation with that country’s government.

“In the case of Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, US Embassy Bridgetown sends a letter to local police or other relevant local authorities informing them of the crime for which the individual is being deported, all pertinent information about the logistics of their return, and how local law enforcement can receive more detailed information regarding the criminal history of the individual,” the release said.

In recent years, residents and leaders of several Caribbean countries have spoken out on what is viewed by many as the unfair practice of the US of dumping convicted criminals who were born in the Caribbean on unsuspecting communities in the Caribbean, which are ill-prepared to deal with such sophisticated convicts.

The lead US government agency conducting deportations is the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which, according to the release, is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes threats to national security, public safety, and border security.

“It is the view of the United States that each country has an international obligation to accept the return of its nationals who are not eligible to remain in the United States or any other country,” the release concluded.