PM Browne Says Antigua Near Agreement With U.S. on Third-Country Nationals

Prime Minister Gaston Browne says Antigua and Barbuda is prepared to show some flexibility in ongoing discussions with the United States over accepting a limited number of third-country nationals, but insists the country will not agree to take individuals with criminal backgrounds.

Speaking Tuesday evening at a reception hosted by the U.S. Embassy at Jumby Bay to mark the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence, Browne said he believes an agreement could be reached in the near future.

“The issue is not even so much about the numbers,” Browne said, suggesting Antigua and Barbuda could consider increasing the number of third-country nationals it accepts from 10 to as many as 14 annually, provided adequate safeguards are in place.

The prime minister said any arrangement must include assurances that those accepted are not criminals, possess skills that could contribute to the country, and will not become a burden on public resources.

“If they come in here to be loafers, we don’t want them,” Browne said, arguing that Antigua and Barbuda, as a small developing state, cannot absorb social and economic burdens that larger countries may be seeking to transfer.

Browne also stressed the importance of ensuring that any individuals accepted under such an arrangement possess valid travel documents.

“We don’t want anybody to come here and say that they don’t have any travel documents and they become stateless if we get stuck with them,” he said.

The issue has been the subject of regional discussion after reports that the United States has approached several Caribbean nations about accepting third-country nationals who are being removed from U.S. territory.

Browne said Antigua and Barbuda remains committed to protecting its national interests while working toward what he described as a “sensible agreement.”

Among those attending the reception was U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Karin Sullivan.

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