As countries across the Caribbean weigh whether to accept third-country nationals deported from the United States, Deputy Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has said there will be no penalties for refusing to do so.

Speaking at a press briefing on April 1, National Security Minister St Clair Leacock said regional governments will ultimately decide for themselves whether to participate in any such arrangement.

The issue was among key matters discussed at a recent meeting of the Regional Security System (RSS) Council of Ministers, held in Saint Lucia from March 27 to 28. The agenda included discussions on the governance, security and legal implications of relocating U.S. third-country deportees or refugees to Caribbean states.

Leacock stressed that no country in the region would be compelled to accept deportees under the proposed framework.

“They will not force you. If you don’t want them, they will not force you, and there will be no penalties for not accepting deportees or refugees,” he said.

He added that any country choosing to participate would also have full authority to determine the conditions under which deportees are received.

“In the end, it will be left up to Caribbean countries to accept and/or reject deportees coming from the United States of America,” Leacock said.

The comments come amid growing regional discussion over how Caribbean governments should respond to potential U.S. requests to relocate third-country nationals, a proposal that has raised questions about sovereignty, capacity and security across the region.