U.S. Dominica asylum agreement could send foreigners to Caribbean
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The United States has reached an agreement with the Commonwealth of Dominica that could allow some asylum seekers arriving at the US border to be transferred to the Caribbean country. Associated Press.
Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit called the agreement “one of the key areas of cooperation” between the two governments following the latest entry restrictions imposed by the United States on Dominican citizens.
Skerrit said that he continued his talks with US officials after the White House announced partial visa restrictions on December 16, but he refused to give details about how many refugees could be sent to Dominica or when transfers could begin.
Skerrit’s relationship with US officials underlined concerns about public safety, leading to, in his words, “careful deliberations about the need to avoid accepting individuals who would use violence or endanger the security of Dominica.”
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Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit faces opposition criticism over US asylum deal (Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica)
The Dominica government continues to publicly address the broader context of U.S. travel restrictions, even going so far as to say it “maintains engagement with the U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown and the Department of State in Washington with the aim of reversing a decision announced by the White House to impose partial travel restrictions on Dominican citizens beginning January 1, 2026.”
The government later clarified that U.S. officials had said that Dominican citizens with valid U.S. visas, including tourist, business, student and other categories, “may travel to the United States and its territories as is customary.” The announcement confirms that legal travel will continue under standard immigration laws.
Dominica flag photographed against a clear sky. (Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The agreement follows broader U.S. efforts under President Donald Trump to encourage other countries to share responsibility for refugees, similar to similar agreements with countries such as Belize and Paraguay, the AP said.
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Some in Dominica’s political opposition say they are still waiting for answers. “The Prime Minister still hasn’t told the Dominicans exactly what he agreed to in terms of the number of people who will come to Dominica, where they will be settled and how they will be cared for,” Thomson Fontaine, leader of the main opposition party, told the AP.
A whale mural by Marcus Cuffi is photographed on a street in Roseau, Dominica, on Sunday, November 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Clyde K Jno-Baptiste)
Dominica’s population is about 72,000, according to Fontaine, and this announcement has many people concerned about the island’s adequate resources to accept refugees.
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Talks are still ongoing, but officials have so far said little about when the plan will begin or how it will be implemented.
