Saint Lucia is ready to welcome home five of its nationals who have been deported from the United States of America, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre confirmed on Monday.
Pierre responded to concerns that numerous Saint Lucians were enroute to the country after being deported by U.S authorities. The Prime Minister clarified that the government is not hesitant to accept its nations, despite the stigma surrounding their removal from the U.S. “These reports are false. A “number” of have not returned. We’ve got word that five Saint Lucians are returning sometime this week. But the government will accept its nationals. We will never run shy away from our responsibility for our nationals. They are our nationals,” Pierre said.
Pierre noted that not all deportees were removed for the U.S due to some involvement in crime. He calls for an end to the stigma and for citizens to embrace their fellow Saint Lucians. “I want you to understand also that the deportees, even when they come, all of them are not criminals. We want to pretend that the people are criminals. All of are not criminals. They are citizens who went to the U.S in search of the American way. We can accept them – they are our people.”
Responding to media queries on Monday was Police Commissioner Verne Garde, who also clarified that not all U.S deportees are criminals. “They are persons that sometimes refuse entry and sent back to the islands almost on a daily basis. These are not criminal deportees per se. Deportees have various categories. Some may well be, for example, for asylum and the request for asylum has not been granted. Some of them may be deported for particular immigration purposes and then they would have another subset which would be criminal parties – persons who may have been in the prison system in other countries,” he said.
These concerns come as the U.S has signalled a shift in their immigration policies, placing a greater emphasis on deporting non-nationals.
