Alva Romanus Baptiste: “No, we cannot treat them as if they’re prisoners. We are going to receive them and treat them with respect.”

This is all new to us. And we are going to grapple with it.

I wish to emphasise that under the agreement with the United States, Saint Lucia retains full discretion to review and reject any individual proposed for relocation.

There was a long gestation period where we were discussing with the United States of America what we can afford to do and what we cannot afford to do.

We are fully cognisant that as a developing country we have real social and economic challenges, and this government does not minimise them, but our responsibility to the people of Saint Lucia and our responsibility to uphold the…