GEORGETOWN, Guyana — A new political dispute is developing over Guyana's migration cooperation agreement with the United States, after opposition lawmakers demanded greater transparency about arrangements allowing third-country deportees to be received in Guyana.

The issue gained attention after six deportees from Cuba and Afghanistan arrived in Guyana under the US third-country deportation programme. The group was reportedly vetted and confirmed to have no criminal background.

Opposition MPs, including representatives of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), are calling for the Government to provide full details of the agreement and allow parliamentary scrutiny.

The agreement reportedly allows the United States to send up to 144 third-country nationals to Guyana over a one-year period, although opposition lawmakers have questioned how the arrangement was negotiated and communicated.

The opposition argues that Parliament and the Guyanese public should have greater information about the agreement, particularly because of potential implications for national security, healthcare, housing and other public services.

The Government has maintained that the arrangement does not involve permanent resettlement, while the International Organization for Migration is expected to manage the programme. Guyana's Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud has also said Guyana will not bear the costs of housing or supporting the deportees.

The controversy is now becoming a significant Guyana political and governance issue, with opposition lawmakers pressing for answers about the agreement's terms, oversight mechanisms and future implementation.

The debate is expected to continue as Parliament and political stakeholders examine Guyana's role in the US deportation programme.