Alva Baptiste - FILE PHOTO
.png)
St. Lucia's Foreign Minister Alva Baptiste
The St. Lucia Government announced on Monday that the first batch of persons being transferred to the island under the Third Country Nationals Programme, established through its bilateral agreement with the United States, will arrive later this week.
Foreign Minister Alva Baptiste told the weekly Cabinet news conference that the six individuals – five men and one woman - will be permitted entry into St. Lucia under the programme, adding that over the next two years, St. Lucia will receive up to 10 persons each quarter.
Mr Baptiste sought to address concerns about St Lucia receiving persons with criminal backgrounds from the US.
"These individuals are not criminals; their circumstances are administrative," he said, adding that they were "unable to establish normalcy in their immigration status in the United States and were therefore identified for removal."
He said Castries is working closely with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to provide two clear options: " One, voluntary repatriation to their countries of origin, or those who choose to remain to follow the appropriate laws and receive support for their integration into St. Lucian society."
"Our government is very clear. Our agreement to this programme reflects the values we proudly uphold as a nation; values of compassion, human dignity, and respect for fundamental rights," he declared.
comments powered by Disqus
All feeds
