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The United States has reached an agreement with the Commonwealth of Dominica that would allow some asylum seekers who arrive at the American border to be transferred to the Caribbean nation, according to a report by the Associated Press.
Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit described the agreement as “one of the main areas of cooperation” between the two governments following recent US immigration restrictions imposed on Dominicans.
Skerrit said he was in ongoing discussions with US officials after the White House announced the partial visa restrictions announced on December 16 but declined to provide details on how many asylum seekers could be sent to Dominica or when transfers could begin.
Skerrit’s dealings with US authorities led to what he called “careful consideration of the need to avoid finding violent people or people who will endanger the security of Dominica,” emphasizing public safety concerns.
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Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit faces opposition criticism over US asylum deal (Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica)
The government of Dominica continues to speak publicly about a larger framework of US travel restrictions, even saying that it “continues to communicate with the US Embassy in Bridgetown and the State Department in Washington … in an effort to reverse the decision announced by the White House to impose partial travel restrictions on Dominicans, effective January 1, 2026.”
The government then went on to clarify that US authorities said that Dominicans holding valid US visas, including tourists, businessmen, students and other categories, “can travel to the US and its territories as usual.” This announcement confirms that official travel will continue under normal immigration laws.
The flag of Dominica is photographed against a clear sky. (Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)
According to the AP, the agreement is reported to have indicated that, like similar agreements with countries such as Belize and Paraguay, the agreement follows a broader US effort under the administration of President Donald Trump to encourage other countries to share responsibilities for people seeking asylum.
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Some of the opposition groups in Dominica say they are still waiting for answers. Thomson Fontaine, the leader of the main opposition party, told the AP that “the prime minister has not told the Dominican community what exactly he has agreed to, in terms of the number of people who will come to Dominica, where they will be housed, how they will be cared for.”
A mural of a whale by Marcus Cuffi was photographed on the side of a road in Roseau, Dominica, on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Clyde K Jno-Baptiste)
Dominica has a population of about 72,000, and the announcement leaves many concerned about the island’s adequate resources to handle asylum seekers, according to Fontaine.
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Discussions are ongoing, but so far officials have not said anything about when the program will begin or how it will be implemented.
