Antigua and Barbuda to Accept Refugees from US with Conditions

The Antigua and Barbuda government says it will accept 10 third-country nationals, including refugees” from the United States annually, but maintains that Washington must provide assurances that proper background checks are conducted and that all persons have valid travel documents..

“One criminal element coming into our country can make a difference. We also said to them too that these persons must have travel documents because what happens sometimes is some of these immigrants who they detain as soon as they get to the United States they tear up the travel documents and we can’t have them come here as stateless individuals,” Prime Minister Gaston Browne said on his weekly radio programme here.

“So we have said to them that look they have their issues and we want to help, we want to be a cooperative state but cannot let’s say participate or agree to anything that is to our detriment,” he added.

In January, the Antigua and Barbuda government said it had not entered into any binding agreement with the United States to accept deportees or refugees. It said what exists is a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding proposed by the United States, as part of its global efforts to share responsibility for refugees already present in its territory.

“Antigua and Barbuda was approached by the United States, along with more than one hundred governments worldwide, including several within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), to consider this non-binding arrangement,” the government said in its statement.

Last month, the St Kitts and Nevis government said that it had accepted the first group of U.S.-transferred third-country deportees under a bilateral arrangement with Washington.

In a statement it said three CARICOM nationals from Jamaica and Belize arrived under an agreement involving persons accused of immigration violations.

Prime Minister Browne told radio listeners that a previous proposal reportedly involved accepting as many as 120 individuals without guaranteed assistance or due diligence, which he described as unacceptable.

“That matter remains unresolved in the sense that we have not heard from the State Department as yet,” he said, adding that St. John’s has been following up on that matter.

“At one point I’m told that they had access to accept as many as 120 individuals and there was no guarantees, no guaranteed assistance, no guaranteed due diligence, and I said to them that that is totally unacceptable.

“So I just want to keep the people informed. Again we’re not promoting any hostility with the United States, we want to maintain good relations with the US, but they have to understand that we have to defend our national interests. We’re a small, powerless and very vulnerable country,” he added.

Prime Minister Browne insisted that his government will not agree to any arrangement that could be detrimental to the safety and security of Antigua and Barbuda. (CMC)