St. Lucia

In January 2026, the government of Saint Lucia announced it had signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States concerning the potential removal of third country nationals. The government of St. Lucia maintains that any potential transfers would remain entirely discretionary and subject to safeguards, including possible screening for criminal history and health status. The government has made limited information about the agreement public. Of concern, St. Lucia is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol. The agreement has also sparked domestic political controversy, with the Prime Minister Philip Pierre facing criticism for allegedly delaying public disclosure of the MOU, which some reports suggest may have been finalized weeks earlier before the country’s general elections. In his address about the approved agreement in mid-January 2026, the Prime Minister said he had received no information about a change inU.S. visa policy affecting St. Lucians, but, on January 21, 2026, the U.S. Department of State paused all visa issuances to immigrant visa applicants from Saint Lucia. 

In July 2026, the Conference of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) took place, with the leaders in attendance releasing a statement expressing concerns about third country removal agreements. The statement emphasized that they are intended to provide transit of individuals without criminal backgrounds to their home countries.