St. Kitts and Nevis

In early January 2026, the United States and Saint Kitts and Nevis announced a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the transfer of certain third-country nationals from the United States. As articulated by Prime Minister Terrance Drew, the agreement applies only to nationals of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states who are unable to return to their countries of origin– with Haitians carved out as an exception, and it excludes all non-CARICOM nationals. The MOU categorically bars the transfer of individuals with convictions for violent or sexual offenses. Critically, Saint Kitts and Nevis retains sole discretion to accept or reject any individual proposed by the United States, a provision the government has emphasized as essential to protecting national security and sovereignty.

The terms of the agreement place the financial burden squarely on the United States. Under the MOU, Prime Minister Drew announced that the United States will pay for transportation, housing, and sustenance for any CARICOM nationals transferred to Saint Kitts and Nevis. The government of Saint Kitts and Nevis has framed the arrangement not as a blanket acceptance of deportees, but as a contingent, case-by-case mechanism embedded within broader regional norms, noting that all CARICOM member states have already agreed to receive their own nationals deported from the United States.

In early January 2026, other small Caribbean nations, including Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda, signed similar agreements with the United States. These agreements were signed during a period of heightened political tension in the Caribbean over recent U.S. government actions, including lethal strikes on migrant boats and a U.S. military intervention in Venezuela. They were announced shortly after a U.S. presidential proclamation that partially suspended visa issuance and processing for nationals of 15 countries, though the proclamation did not include St. Kitts and Nevis.