WASHINGTON: The Bahamas on Thursday said it had rejected a proposal from the incoming Trump administration to receive deported migrants, with Mexico and Panama also stressing they would only take back their own citizens.
Donald Trump’s team has drawn up a list of countries to which it wants to deport undocumented migrants when their home countries refuse to accept them, according to NBC News.
Sources told the television network that the countries that are being considered include the Bahamas, Grenada, Panama and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
But the Bahamas — an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean — said it had “reviewed and firmly rejected” the plan from the US president-elect, who campaigned for the White House on a pledge to deport millions of undocumented migrants.
Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis’s office said in a statement that his government had received a proposal from the Trump transition team “to accept deportation flights of migrants from other countries.”
“Since the Prime Minister’s rejection of this proposal, there has been no further engagement or discussions with the Trump transition team,” the statement added.
The Panamanian foreign ministry said it had received no such proposal from the Trump team, officially or unofficially.
“What is more, under international law we are under no obligation to take in deportees who are not Panamanian,” it said in a statement.
Panama wants to have good relations with the United States but “the foreign ministry believes clearly that our main mission is to protect the interests of Panama.”
The Turks and Caicos also said it would not accept deportees.
“Turks and Caicos, like all nations, has the sovereign right to determine who may reside within its borders,” Immigration Minister Arlington Musgrove told the Miami Herald.
“The unilateral imposition of third-country deportation policies, such as those reportedly under consideration by the incoming Trump administration, is fundamentally at odds with international norms and legal standards,” Musgrove told the newspaper.
Mexico’s new President Claudia Sheinbaum said her country has an agreement with the Biden administration under which non-Mexicans crossing into the United States from Mexico without papers are sent directly back to their countries of origin, and she hopes this will continue with Trump.
“Of course, we show solidarity with all people but our main function is to take in Mexicans and we hope to have an agreement with the Trump administration in case there are these deportations,” she said.
Trump’s team made no immediate comment Thursday on the proposal reported by NBC, which appeared to reveal one part of how the incoming president plans to enact radical migration reform when in office.
The deportation plan could mean that migrants are permanently displaced in countries to which they have no links.
It is not clear if the migrants would be allowed to work — or what pressure Trump may apply to get countries to agree, NBC said.
The US government has struggled for years to manage its southern border with Mexico, and Trump on the campaign trail targeted concerns by claiming a migrant “invasion” is underway.
At rallies, he repeatedly railed against undocumented immigrants, accusing them of rape and murder and attacking those who “poison the blood” of the United States.
He has vowed to tackle migrant gangs using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 — which allows the federal government to round up and deport foreigners belonging to enemy countries.
Trump also promoted the fictitious story that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating residents’ pets.
The incoming president last month said he was bringing back hard-line immigration official Tom Homan to oversee the country’s borders.
Homan led immigration enforcement during part of Trump’s first administration.
A British plan to deport its asylum seekers to Rwanda was dropped earlier this year when the Labour Party took power under Keir Starmer after ousting the Conservatives.
US neighbors balk at Trump plan for deported migrants
https://arab.news/932dw
US neighbors balk at Trump plan for deported migrants
France in talks with Britain, Ukraine about potential troops, Macron tells paper
- “We’re working on the presence and strategic footprint of the partner countries,” Macron said
- “The key is to have troops in Ukraine“
PARIS: France is consulting with partners on how to potentially support Ukraine in its struggle with Russia with troops, French President Emmanuel Macron told newspaper Le Parisien on Saturday, without elaborating on what such a presence could include.
“We are working on the presence and strategic footprint of the partner countries. There have been several exchanges between our British, French and Ukrainian chiefs of staff, who have coordinated the work with all their partners, and all this is becoming clearer and making progress,” Macron was cited in the article.
“The key is to have troops in Ukraine,” he added.
Major European powers including France threw their weight behind an unconditional 30-day Ukraine ceasefire, with the backing of US President Donald Trump.
Macron joined the leaders of Britain, Germany and Poland on a visit to Kyiv on Saturday during which they held a phone call with Trump.
Seven dead after heavy rain hits Mogadishu
- Floodwaters also damaged key infrastructure, halting public transport
MOGADISHU: At least seven people have died, and major roads were cut off after heavy rains led to flooding in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, on Friday night due to an overwhelmed drainage system and a growing urban population.
The regional administration spokesperson, Abdinasir Hirsi Idle, said on Saturday that rescue efforts were ongoing.
“The death toll could rise because the rains were heavy and lasted for several hours, causing nine houses to collapse across different neighborhoods, and at least six major roads to suffer severe damage,” he said.
Somalia has in the past suffered extreme climate shocks, including prolonged dry seasons that have caused drought and heavy rains that have resulted in floods.
Friday’s rains went on for about eight hours, leaving waist-high waters in neighborhoods where some residents were trapped and others were forced to move to higher ground.
A resident, Mohammed Hassan, said that some older people were still trapped.
“We spent the night on rooftops, shivering from the cold, and I have not even had breakfast,” he said.
Floodwaters also damaged key infrastructure, halting public transport and temporarily disrupting operations at the main airport, Aden Abdulle International Airport.
Officials later confirmed flights had resumed operations.
The Somali Disaster Management Agency has not yet released an official death toll, but said an assessment was underway to determine the extent of the damage.
In a statement on Saturday, the country’s Energy and Water Ministry said: “A substantial amount of rainfall, exceeding 115 mm, was recorded in over 8 consecutive hours” and warned of flash floods in other regions outside the capital.
Marcos camp takes on Duterte clan in key poll
- Most voters back senate candidates who assert Philippine sovereignty: Survey
MANILA: In political rallies, Senate hearings, and voter surveys ahead of Monday’s midterm elections in the Philippines, China has been an overwhelming — and unusual — presence.
The shadow of its giant maritime neighbor has loomed over the Philippines for years.
However, as the country’s two most prominent political clans flex their muscles in the usually low-key process to pick senators and local government leaders, relations with China have emerged as a political lightning rod.
The outcome could shape the country’s strategic positioning over the remaining half of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s six-year term, which began in 2022.
“Will we allow ourselves to return to the time when our leaders wanted us to become a province of China?” Marcos asked voters at a rally in February, in a dig at predecessor Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Sara, who is currently vice president and a key Marcos rival.
During his 2016 to 2022 term, Duterte shifted foreign policy on China, adopting conciliatory rhetoric and downplaying disputes in the South China Sea.
The strategy drew concern from Washington and raised questions about the Philippines’ longstanding security alliance with the US.
In contrast, Marcos has moved to rekindle and deepen ties with Washington.
“These are hot-button issues that many Filipino voters can relate to, particularly on the issue of China. There was a time in the past when foreign policy did not matter that much during elections,” said Ederson Tapia, professor of public administration at the University of Makati.
“But now it does.”
An April survey found that most voters in the country of 110 million prefer candidates who assert Philippine sovereignty in the South China Sea, where the Marcos-led administration has taken a more assertive stance in its maritime confrontations with Beijing, which continue unabated.
It is a sentiment that Marcos has tapped into since he started his campaign for the slate of Senate candidates that he is backing.
In the February rally, Marcos pointed to his candidates, saying: “None of them were applauding China when our coast guard was being bombed with water, when our fishermen were being blocked, when their catch was stolen, and our islands seized to become part of another country.”
The Duterte camp enjoyed a surge of sympathy when he was arrested by the International Criminal Court in March and taken to The Hague, but Marcos’ candidates remain ahead in polls and appear poised to dominate the Senate race.
A Duterte spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Through a months-long campaign, Marcos has kept up the pressure and focused on China as a key election issue, while his allies have aimed at Sara Duterte for her silence on China’s actions.
Sara, a likely future presidential candidate, was once a Marcos ally but now faces an impeachment trial on charges including a threat to assassinate the president if she were harmed.
In the Philippines, the 24-member Senate acts as the jury in any impeachment trial, making the midterms even more consequential in determining Sara Duterte’s political future.
Sara, who denied wrongdoing, responded to her impeachment with defiance, asking the Supreme Court to nullify the complaint against her.
A strong mandate for Marcos would not only define his ability to govern decisively in the remaining three years of his term but would also shape the 2028 presidential race, said Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit, a political analyst and founder of Stratbase Group, a research and advisory firm.
Marcos is limited to a single term under the Constitution and is expected to anoint a successor. Sara Duterte would also be eligible to run in 2028 if she survives impeachment.
“Those who will run need to be tested on consistency about these issues,” Manhit said, referring to protecting the Philippines’ maritime rights and sovereignty.
“And one of them is the current vice president. She has not spoken against this coercion by China.”
A spokesperson for Sara Duterte did not respond to a request for comment.
The midterm election comes amid a proliferation of disinformation in the Philippines. Inauthentic accounts have driven up to 45 percent of discussions about the elections on social media, Reuters reported last month.
The use of fake accounts and paid influencers for political operations is widespread in the Philippines, but a top security official and a senator alleged last month that Chinese state-sponsored groups might be attempting to influence Filipinos.
China’s foreign ministry and its embassy in Manila have rejected the accusations.
India, Pakistan reach ceasefire — but trade claims of violations
- US-mediated deal had been expected to bring a swift end to weeks of escalating clashes
ISLAMABAD: India and Pakistan traded accusations of ceasefire violations early Sunday, hours after US President Donald Trump announced that the nuclear-armed neighbors had stepped back from the brink of full-blown war.
India’s foreign secretary said Pakistan had committed “repeated violations” of the truce and that it was retaliating, while Pakistan said it “remains committed” to the ceasefire and that its forces were handling violations by India with “responsibility and restraint.”
Earlier, AFP staff in Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir reported hearing a series of loud explosions. A senior official in Pakistani-run Kashmir told AFP that “intermittent exchange of fire is ongoing” across the de facto border in the contested region, the Line of Control (LoC).
More details were not immediately available, and it was not possible to independently verify the claims.
On Saturday, Pakistan and India had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire after days of deadly jet fighter, missile, drone and artillery attacks which killed at least 60 people and saw thousands of civilians flee their homes along their border as well as in divided Kashmir.
The news had been surprisingly announced by Trump.
“After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE. Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence,” Trump posted.
India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri had said earlier that both sides would “stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea” with effect from 5:00 p.m. (1130 GMT).
He later accused Pakistan of “repeated violations” and said the Indian armed forces “are giving an adequate and appropriate response.”
Meanwhile, the foreign ministry in Islamabad said Pakistan “remains committed to faithful implementation” of the truce.
Accusing India of committing its own violations, it said Pakistan’s forces “are handling the situation with responsibility and restraint.”
It called for ceasefire issues to be handled “through communication at appropriate levels” and urged troops on the ground to also exercise restraint.
On X, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country “appreciates” the US intervention.
“Pakistan believes this marks a new beginning in the resolution of issues that have plagued the region and prevented its journey toward peace, prosperity and stability,” he wrote.
The conflict was touched off by an attack last month in the Indian-administered side of Kashmir that killed 26 tourists, mostly Hindu men, which Delhi blamed on Islamabad.
India accused the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba — a UN-designated terrorist organization — of carrying out the attack, but Islamabad has denied any involvement and called for an independent probe.
Militants have stepped up operations in Kashmir since 2019, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government revoked its limited autonomy and took the state under direct rule from New Delhi.
The countries have fought several wars over the territory, which both claim in full but administer separate portions of since gaining independence from British rule in 1947.
“The ceasefire is a positive step,” said Bilal Shabbir, an IT consultant in Muzaffarabad, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, before the claims the truce had been violated.
“In war, it’s not just soldiers who die, it’s mostly civilians — and in this case, it would have been the people of Kashmir.”
In Srinagar, resident Sukesh KHajjuria was more cautious.
“The ceasefire is welcome, but it’s difficult to trust Pakistan. We have to be vigilant,” he said.
Both sides will pay a high price economically for the conflict.
Pakistani military sources claimed its forces had shot down at least 77 Israeli-made high-tech drones — debris from some of them was seen by AFP reporters — while Indian officials said they had destroyed hundreds of Pakistani drones, many Turkish-made.
Pakistan also says it downed five Indian warplanes — including three French Rafale fighter jets — although New Delhi has not confirmed any losses.
Independent verification of claims by either side has been difficult.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the ceasefire came after he and Vice President JD Vance engaged with senior officials on both sides.
Rubio also said on X that they had agreed to “start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site.”
News of the ceasefire was met with relief internationally, after increasing calls for both countries to step back from the brink.
China, which borders India and Pakistan, said Beijing was “willing to continue playing a constructive role” and remained concerned with any escalation, according to state-run news agency Xinhua, which said that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had spoken to officials in both countries.
Flooding in eastern Congo kills 62 people with 50 missing
- Witnesses described the floods surging at around 5 a.m. Friday
- The rescue operation was hampered by a lack of servicescongo
BUKAVU, Congo: Heavy flooding following torrential rains in eastern Congo washed away several villages along the shores of Lake Tanganyika, leaving at least 62 dead and 50 missing, authorities said Saturday.
Witnesses described the floods surging at around 5 a.m. Friday and sweeping away the village of Kasaba on the edge of the lake in the Ngandja sector.
The South Kivu provincial health minister, Théophile Walulika Muzaliwa, said by phone that the rescue operation was hampered by a lack of services and a shutdown of telephone lines due to the flooding.
“Sector chiefs, village chiefs and locality chiefs, who are also members of the local government, are on site. The only humanitarian organization currently present is the Red Cross. It is not possible to give an assessment as body searches are continuing,” he said.
Last month, flooding in the capital, Kinshasa, killed 33 people.
Decades of fighting between government troops and rebels in eastern Congo escalated in February, worsening what is already one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
