The Trump administration wants to send “third-country citizens” in a nation with only 18,000 inhabitants. And this cannot very much refuse
Islands from the Palau archipelago. Photo: Alexander Shalamov | Dreamstime.com
The United States wants to send “third -country citizens” to Palau and the Donald Trump administration has proposed to the tiny island nation an agreement in this regard that it is difficult to reject because it depends financially on the US.
According to the Australian television ABC, which had access to the agreement, the Palau Government is to accept to become a destination for the US people demanding protection in their origin countries.
Experts say, however, it is not clear whether the agreement concerns migrants without documents or other groups, including asylum seekers.
President Palau, Suurgel Whipps JR has not yet completed the agreement and consults the Council of the Island's Chiefs, stating in a letter that his country will decide whether or not he will accept “third-country citizens”.
“All actions will be in accordance with our Constitution and Laws,” the Whipps letter to the Council, drafted last week, shows in the letter.
It is not clear what Palau will receive instead, one of the smallest nations in the world, with a population of 18,000 inhabitants.
“The first request is: Palau, would you consider the request?”, Whipps said in a press conference. “And if we consider it, then additional discussions will take place on how this will be achieved.”
The Palau Archipelago, located in the north Papua New Guinea and the east of the Philippines, is one of the three island nations in the Pacific which have “free association” agreements with the US, which offers billions of dollars in financial support in exchange for American military access.
Unlike the United States, Palau is not a signatory to the UN refugee Convention, an international treaty that forces countries to protect people running away from persecution and offers a framework in how asylum seekers and refugees should be treated in the country of shelter, writes Guardian.
In view of this, the project of agreement stipulates that Palau would act “in accordance with his Constitution” and “fundamental humanitarian principles”.
Photo: © Alexander Shalamov | Dreamstime.com
