On deportees/refugees “you have to get it right”, says National Security Minister

The United States of America’s (USA) decision to ask Caribbean nations to accept third country refugees and deportees “is a very touchy and controversial one” says Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Disaster Management and Immigration, Major St. Clair Leacock.

On Wednesday January 14, 2026 while speaking on Star Radio, Opposition Leader Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, said prior to the 2025 general elections the USA approached him about SVG taking asylum seekers from other countries.

Commenting on that issue, Major Leacock stressed that he is not the type of person who avoids conversations with the public, but he is always mindful that there’s a “huge” gap between being deputy prime minister and being prime minister.

“…and as a deputy prime minister, my role, contrary to what a lot of people feel, is to make my prime minister the best prime minister he can be, because he is that busy and he needs to know he has loyal supporters and faithful supporters, having a decent cadence behind what he is doing and supporting him in all respects, Leacock said.

“So, I make the point that the first thing I have to do is understand that our response to that challenge of taking refugees or deportees- and the words are used interchangeably, although they are different- from the United States of America, is to say that at the domestic level, that is a Cabinet response,” Major Leacock said on NBC radio.

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