A former regional business leader is warning that efforts by the United States to relocate third-country deportees to Caribbean nations could have serious long-term consequences for the region’s security and social stability.

Speaking on Observer Radio’s The Big Issues programme, retired Anguilla Electricity Company Chief Executive Officer Sutcliffe Hodge said Caribbean governments should carefully weigh the potential risks of accepting deportees from the United States, particularly those with criminal backgrounds.

The discussion comes amid reports that the Trump administration is pressing several Caribbean governments to receive third-country nationals deported from the United States as part of its immigration enforcement strategy.

Hodge questioned why Washington, with its extensive financial resources and sophisticated law enforcement and intelligence agencies, would seek to transfer what he described as a major security burden to small island states already battling crime.

“Why would the United States think that sending people with criminal records to the Caribbean be a good thing?” he asked.

He argued that Caribbean countries, because of their size and interconnectedness, are especially vulnerable to the influence of hardened criminals.

“What is likely to happen if we were to get hardened criminals in our region is they will no doubt have some influence and some spillover into the wider population, make some of our criminals in the region even more hardened,” Hodge said.

He warned that the movement of such individuals throughout the Caribbean could undermine public safety well beyond the countries that initially receive them.

“And what if some of these people were to find themselves among our communities and travel across the entire region and turn our region into a disastrous zone, a criminal zone?” he added.

Hodge also expressed concern that any agreement to accept a limited number of deportees could eventually lead to increased demands from the United States.

He suggested that once Caribbean governments establish a precedent by accepting an initial group, they could find it difficult to resist future requests involving even larger numbers.

His concerns were echoed by Bermuda Member of Parliament and CARICOM Ambassador Thomas Christopher Famous, who argued that Caribbean leaders have little leverage in discussions with Washington.

You’re not in a position to negotiate who you’re taking,” Famous said. “You’re being dictated to. That’s the reality.

Also appearing on the panel was President of the Press Association of Jamaica Desmond Richards, who urged Caribbean governments to carry out their own independent background checks on any individuals proposed for resettlement rather than relying solely on information supplied by the United States.

The issue has generated growing concern across the region following reports that several Caribbean countries, including Jamaica and St. Kitts and Nevis, have agreed in principle to receive third-country deportees.

While Hodge stopped short of urging governments to reject the proposals outright, he acknowledged the difficult diplomatic position facing regional leaders, noting that refusing Washington’s requests could carry significant economic and political consequences, including possible visa restrictions and repercussions for tourism.

Even so, he maintained that Caribbean governments must not overlook the potential long-term impact on public safety.

“We are so dependent on the superpowers,,” Hodge said. “And that’s, unfortunately, where we find ourselves.”