US Asking Antigua and Barbuda to Accept More Refugees and Deportees

Sir Ronald Sanders Says Antigua and Barbuda Cannot Absorb Large Numbers of Third-Country Nationals from US

Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, says the country is facing pressure from Washington to accept more third-country nationals than the government originally offered to accommodate.

Speaking on the issue, Sir Ronald said Antigua and Barbuda had made a limited offer to assist the United States as a “gesture of good faith and good friendship,” but stressed that the twin-island nation could not take on numbers beyond its capacity.

“We put forward a certain number,” he said. “We will play our part in trying to relieve the United States of the burden that it is facing. But we can do no more than that.”

According to Sanders, discussions between Antigua and Barbuda and the United States are ongoing, but the country remains firm that accepting larger numbers of migrants from countries with which Antigua and Barbuda has no established relationship could create serious social and economic pressures.

He raised concerns about the integration of individuals who may not speak English or possess qualifications and skills that can be readily recognized or utilized locally. Sanders questioned how such individuals would be housed, cared for, and integrated into Antiguan society if large numbers were accepted.

“What would happen with them when they come to Antigua? Where would they go? Who would look after them? How would they be integrated into the society?” he asked.

Sanders also warned that accepting excessive numbers could place strain on the country’s limited resources and potentially alter the nation’s demographics in ways that citizens may not support.

“The Prime Minister’s offered a certain number that he would be prepared to absorb,” Sanders said, adding that the government could not make decisions that would “put strain on our resources to the point where our own people would say, ‘No, no, no, we’re not doing that.’”

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