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Sydney: The United States has deported its first migrant to the Pacific island nation of Palau under a new third-country resettlement agreement, as Washington intensifies its attempts to deport illegal migrants and asylum seekers to partner countries.
Palau’s government stated that the first deportee landed in late May and was given temporary accommodation and assistance upon arrival. However, the man decided to leave the island following around two weeks, and authorities have not revealed where he went or why he was deported.
The agreement, signed in December, enables Palau to accept up to 75 US deportees. Only migrants with no criminal records are eligible, and Palau has the final say on whether to approve or reject each case. In exchange, Washington would provide $7.5 million to help fund the country’s public services and infrastructure.
The agreement sparked debate in Palau, with some legislators attempting to reject it due to concerns about its impact on the small Pacific nation. The pact is part of the Trump administration’s larger goal of moving migrants to other countries, which includes accords with El Salvador, Rwanda, and Uganda.
