Dominica agrees to accept refugees from US

Dominica has agreed to accept refugees from the United States who are non-nationals, but must also be non-violent.

At a media conference, Dominica prime minister Roosevelt Skerrit confirmed the agreement to accept third-party refugees. The agreement comes less than a month after the US added Dominica to the list of countries on a travel ban/restriction, effective January 1, 2026.

Skerrit said, "In our discussions with the State Department there has been careful deliberation of the need to avoid receiving violent individuals or individuals who will compromise the security of Dominica. This has been acknowledged and well received by the State Department.”

Skerrit said the decision to accept the refugees was "based on our responsibility to safeguard the wellbeing of our people, particularly their access to lawful travel, education, employment and family connections, while strengthening cooperation between our governments."

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has claimed the visa restrictions were placed on Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda because they were "badmouthing" the US.

She urged citizens of TT to "behave" or they might face a similar fate.