In a rather surprising twist of efforts by the U.S. government to pressure Caribbean Community countries into accepting deportees from the U.S., authorities in St. Vincent and The Grenadines say they want nothing to do with the controversial program.

For much of the past year, the Trump administration has been pressuring regional member states to accept deportees who don’t want to return home or whose native nations are refusing to have them back.

So, a decision was made in Washington to push Caribbean nations into accepting. Several of them, including Guyana, Dominica, Grenada, Antigua, and St. Kitts, and others, say they will indeed sign on to the program in the coming weeks as they work to stay in the good graces of the US.

But Deputy Vincentian Prime Minister St. Clair Leacock says the administration of Prime Minister Goodwin Friday will definitely not accept any rejects from the U.S., as neighboring CARICOM countries do.

Speaking on Boom 106.9 FM this week, the deputy PM said the administration’s plan, which came to power by winning 14 of the 15 seats late last year, is to stay away from the US’s proposal. The plan “is not to have any,” he said, noting local security concerns and fears about such a venture. “I don’t think our people want to be exposed in that way.” He said authorities are ready to make representations to support our policy position” to keep the borders closed to these specific groups.”

He also stated that the federation has been reassured that nations which reject the US’s overtures will not face recrimination. “If you don’t want them, they will not force you, and there will be no penalties for not accepting. There would be no penalties. I think that came out to us very, very clearly. In the end, it would be up to the Caribbean countries to accept or reject deportees coming from the U.S.,” he said.

So far, Dominica has said that it has already formally wrapped up its own agreement with the US to accept seven deportees per quarter, with the U.S. and a UN agency assisting with living and other expenses, while those like Antigua, Dominica, and Guyana say they are anxious to receive to fill skills shortages in respective capitals.