Council of Chiefs nixes US request for Palau to admit asylum seekers
- Admin
- Jul 24
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 29
Traditional leaders advise Whipps not to sign the draft agreement for resettlement of third-country nationals
By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Palau is too fragile to accommodate asylum seekers, the nation’s traditional leaders said, advising President Surangel Whipps Jr. against yielding to the Trump administration’s request for the island nation to host third-country nationals who will be resettled out of the U.S.
“It is our considered view that you should not sign the draft agreement until we have answered the primary question we have put forth,” the Palau Council of Chiefs stated in a July 22 letter to Whipps. “Is our nation ready, willing and prepared to venture into this new area of responsibility? We think not."
The council pointed out that Palau has enough trouble of its own, including its “forever lingering fiscal issues” and shrinking land resources.
The Guardian reported earlier that the draft agreement proposed by the Trump administration involves relocating to Palau asylum seekers who are currently residing in the U.S. and “may seek protection against return to their home country.”
"(Palau) Congress is of the opinion that this kind of agreement would need congressional ratification," former President Tommy Remengesau said.
ADVERTISEMENT
The U.S. government’s request came on the heels of President Donald Trump’s initiative to accelerate the removal of migrants from U.S. soil, which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court last month.
Joel Ehrendreich, U.S. ambassador to Palau, joined Whipps during his meeting with the Council of Chiefs on July 18 to discuss the draft agreement “for cooperation in the examination or protection requests.”
The discussions left many questions unanswered, the council stated in the letter.
“As had become clear during the July 18 meeting, we are being asked to admit an unspecified number of asylum seekers and refugees into our country for an unknown length of time,” the council said.
The asylum process can take years to conclude.
According to the American Immigration Council, the backlog in U.S. immigration courts continues to reach all-time highs, with over 3.7 million open removal cases as of Jan.31.
“Despite your representation that the draft agreement is merely a draft agreement to enter into discussions, it appears to be more than that,” the Council of Chiefs told Whipps.
ADVERTISEMENT
The panel, which comprises 16 traditional leaders from Palau’s 16 states, is a constitutional advisory body that guides the president on matters concerning traditional laws, customs, and their relationship to the Constitution and the laws of Palau.
While it lacks veto power over presidential actions, the council still carries significant political clout.
"They are influential and can derail any plans from the government, the president and the national congress," said Kambes Ongerung Kesolei, editor at Tia Belau.
"They represent clans which are composed of large family memberships at the village level. So collectively they wield considerable influence on national matters. President Whipps doesn't have much political support within the council of chiefs," he added.
The question regarding Palau’s capacity and readiness to accommodate asylum seekers, the council said, “requires us to look deeply at the ongoing issues we face today—our forever lingering fiscal issues, the advent of U.S. militarization of our island, its impact on our dwindling land resources and inflation.”
Palau's economy is heavily reliant on tourism, which accounts for roughly 40 percent of its gross domestic product, pegged at $281 million. The nation’s tourism industry is just beginning to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Palau, which has a population of 17,700, is a sovereign nation affiliated with the U.S. through the Compact of Free Association. The treaty allocates $890 million for Palau out of the $7.1 billion 20-year economic package authorized for freely associated states, which also include the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.
The U.S. military is building an over-the-horizon radar system in Palau to monitor China's activities.
“Our position has not been an easy one to reach because the request comes to us from our No. 1 ally, the U.S.,” the council said. “We are certain, however, that our best friend, the U.S., understands our precarious and fragile situation as a tiny island nation seeking to exist in this complex world.”
Asylum is a protection that can be granted to foreign nationals already in the United States or arriving at the border who meet the international law definition of a “refugee.”
As a signatory to the 1967 Protocol, and under U.S. immigration law, the United States has legal obligations to provide protection to those who qualify as refugees.
Palau is not a state party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, nor its 1967 Protocol.
In 2009, however, Palau agreed to host 17 Uyghur detainees from Guantanamo Bay, who were initially held by the U.S. and labeled as terrorists by China. The decision was made for humanitarian reasons and to strengthen the ties between Palau and the U.S. In exchange for accepting the detainees, the U.S. provided aid to Palau.
Subscribe to
our digital
monthly edition
