Antigua to publish White Paper on proposed third-country national relocation plan
Key Points(5)
- The government of Antigua and Barbuda says it will publish a White Paper outlining its position on proposals involving the potential relocation of third-country nationals (TCNs) from the United States to the country.
- The Gaston Browne administration said the document will set out the background to discussions with Washington, the issues at stake for Antigua and Barbuda, the government’s assessment of the proposals, and the principles and conditions under which any cooperation could be considered.
- Prime Minister Gaston Browne said the matter touches on key national interests.
- “The government has determined that the matter engages important questions of sovereignty, legal responsibility, public finance, national security, social stability, and Antigua and Barbuda’s international obligations.
- It has therefore concluded that the issue should be addressed in a clear, orderly, and transparent manner,” Browne said.
The government of Antigua and Barbuda says it will publish a White Paper outlining its position on proposals involving the potential relocation of third-country nationals (TCNs) from the United States to the country.
The Gaston Browne administration said the document will set out the background to discussions with Washington, the issues at stake for Antigua and Barbuda, the government’s assessment of the proposals, and the principles and conditions under which any cooperation could be considered.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne said the matter touches on key national interests.
“The government has determined that the matter engages important questions of sovereignty, legal responsibility, public finance, national security, social stability, and Antigua and Barbuda’s international obligations. It has therefore concluded that the issue should be addressed in a clear, orderly, and transparent manner,” Browne said.
The government said the White Paper will also explain that Antigua and Barbuda “has approached the matter in a spirit of friendship and cooperation, while making clear that, as a small state with limited resources and limited absorptive capacity, it cannot responsibly accept open-ended obligations involving persons who are not its nationals and whose removal is sought by another country”.
It added that the document will be laid before Parliament for debate during a Special Session scheduled for the week of July 13.
“This will afford Members of Parliament the opportunity to consider the matter fully and to express their views on an issue of national importance,” the government said.
“In taking this step, the government reaffirms its commitment to transparency, accountability, and informed national discussion. Parliamentary consideration will ensure that Antigua and Barbuda’s position is examined in the nation’s highest representative forum,” it added.
Last month, the Cabinet endorsed recommendations and a negotiating position put forward by Browne regarding discussions with Washington on the possible acceptance of a limited number of non-criminal third-country nationals and refugees.
Cabinet also noted what it described as the long-standing relationship between Antigua and Barbuda and the United States, highlighting cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, security, education, and development assistance.
A post-Cabinet statement said Browne had informed ministers that talks with US officials had resumed following the submission of counter proposals from Antigua and Barbuda, with “constructive dialogue” ongoing between both sides.
The statement also quoted the prime minister as stressing that the government “must retain the sovereign right to determine who may enter and reside within the country”.
