Smith says U.S. visa freeze affecting Antigua should not be politicised

Hon Anthony Smith Jr said: This is truly a sad day for the Caribbean. It is deeply disappointing to see our nation and our regional neighbours included on a list of 75 countries worldwide now facing an indefinite pause on immigrant visa processing.

The relationships between Caribbean nations and the United States have been built on mutual respect, cooperation, and shared values. Our people-to-people connections run deep, with strong family ties, educational exchanges, and economic partnerships that have benefited both sides. To now see Antigua and Barbuda, along with Barbados, the Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and others subjected to this blanket policy, is disheartening.

What troubles me equally, however, is how quickly this developing situation was seized upon for political gain here at home. Instead of being patriots who offer constructive recommendations, the United Progressive Party used this issue as a political football to attack the Prime Minister. It is now even clearer to all right thinking citizens and residents that this matter was not in any way caused by our government’s policy positions or actions. It is clearly a unilateral decision by the United States that affects numerous countries across the globe.

At a time when we should be standing together as a nation to respond to this challenge with one voice, we instead saw opposition politicians rushing to assign blame and score political points. Yet their partisan attacks did absolutely nothing to serve the interests of Antiguans and Barbudans.

Right now, we need unity and measured diplomacy, not divisive rhetoric. Our focus should be on working through diplomatic channels to understand the rationale behind this decision and to advocate for our citizens, not on exploiting this development for domestic political advantage.

I urge us all: Let us stand together as Caribbean people and as Antiguans and Barbudans during this challenging time.

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