Trump Administration Deports 6 Cuban, Afghan Immigrants to Guyana
Key Points
- Guyana received six Cuban and Afghan nationals deported from the US on Saturday, September 5, 2026, according to Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud.
- The Trump administration has struck agreements with more than 30 countries for third-country deportations, including 15 in the Americas region.
- None of the six deportees had criminal backgrounds, and the one-year agreement with Guyana does not constitute permanent resettlement.
Third-Country Deportations Expand Globally
Third-country deportations involve sending foreign nationals to places outside their country of origin, a practice that often leaves deportees with no familiarity with their destination country and sometimes no knowledge of the local language. The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), a research organisation at Syracuse University, estimates that 70.6 percent of foreign nationals currently in US immigration detention have no criminal conviction, reflecting the expanding scope of Trump's deportation efforts beyond individuals with criminal records.
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During his 2024 re-election campaign, Trump promised to engineer the "largest deportation programme of criminals in the history of America." However, the reality of current deportations has diverged from this stated focus. The fact that all six individuals deported to Guyana on September 5 had no criminal backgrounds illustrates this expansion into removals of non-criminal foreign nationals.
Human rights organisations have denounced the third-country deportation practice as an effort to punish migrants and pressure them into abandoning their immigration claims in the US. The deportees sent to Guyana will receive resources through the Assisted Voluntary Return Programme, operated by the United Nations International Organisation for Migration. Under this arrangement, those deported will await the outcome of their immigration process in Guyana and may return to their countries of origin or seek relocation elsewhere.
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Third-country deportations have raised concerns about conditions in destination countries. Some nations receiving deportees struggle with poverty, instability, conflict, and human rights abuses, creating questions about the welfare and safety of individuals sent to these locations.
The one-year term of the Guyana agreement and Persaud's statement that the US has made no further requests at this time leave open the possibility of additional deportation arrangements. The expansion of the third-country deportation network to 30-plus countries demonstrates the administration's commitment to scaling enforcement operations beyond traditional bilateral deportation agreements.
Why this matters: The third-country deportation model fundamentally alters how the US removes foreign nationals, bypassing deportation to countries of origin and instead placing individuals in nations with which they have no prior connection. This approach expands the geographic scope of US deportation enforcement while raising humanitarian concerns and straining diplomatic relationships with partner nations.
What Happens Next
The Trump administration is likely to continue leveraging third-country deportation agreements as a core enforcement mechanism. Additional countries may sign agreements following Guyana's precedent, particularly in Latin America and Africa where the administration has reportedly already struck multiple deals. Human rights organisations will continue challenging the practice through legal and advocacy channels, while debate over the legality and humanitarian implications of third-country deportations will intensify as more deportees arrive in destination countries.
Sources: Al Jazeera and other international news outlets.
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