The Government of Antigua and Barbuda is expected to table a resolution in the House of Representatives today establishing the principles that would govern any future arrangement involving the possible transfer of third-country nationals removed from the United States, according to Antigua.news.
The proposed resolution is intended to provide a clear policy framework for any continued discussions while safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, national security, legal obligations, administrative capacity and financial interests.
In what the government describes as an unprecedented step toward transparency, it will also publicly release both the proposal submitted by the United States and Antigua and Barbuda’s official response. According to Antigua.news, the government said Antigua and Barbuda will become the first country to disclose the documents in full. Government officials added that the documents confirm no binding agreement has been signed and that no arrangement has been concluded between the two countries.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne said the administration believes issues involving legal, humanitarian, financial and national security considerations should be addressed openly and subjected to parliamentary scrutiny.
“This Government believes that matters of such legal, humanitarian, financial and security importance must be handled openly and with respect for Parliament. By bringing the full proposal from the United States, and our response, before the House of Representatives, Antigua and Barbuda is demonstrating transparency and accountability, while maintaining our longstanding friendship and cooperation with the Government and people of the United States,” Browne said.
According to Antigua.news, the proposed resolution is designed to establish the safeguards under which discussions may continue while preserving the government’s authority to approve or reject any proposed transfer on a case-by-case basis.
Among the principles to be outlined are that there will be no automatic or open-ended programme, no predetermined quota of persons accepted, and no transfer without the government’s prior approval in each individual case.
The framework also provides that comprehensive legal, operational, financial and administrative arrangements must be agreed to in writing before any transfer can proceed. The government said it would also require satisfactory provisions covering identity verification, travel documentation, accommodation, funding, legal status, security, support services and responsibility for any onward movement or return before considering any proposal.
The issue extends beyond Antigua and Barbuda and has become the subject of coordinated discussions among several members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
At an OECS Heads of Government meeting in January, regional leaders confirmed that the United States had approached Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and St. Kitts and Nevis about accepting third-country nationals removed from the United States. The leaders noted that some countries had already signed non-legally binding memoranda of understanding to facilitate further discussions with Washington.
Rather than negotiate individually, the OECS agreed to establish a broad-based, high-level negotiating team comprising representatives from member states to conduct technical negotiations with the United States. The regional body said the approach is intended to ensure that participating countries adopt common standards and protections while addressing legal, security, financial and humanitarian concerns.
Dominica has already outlined the safeguards it says would apply under any arrangement with the United States. In a statement issued earlier this year, the government said any understanding with Washington is non-binding and gives Dominica full discretion to accept or reject any proposed transfer. It also stated that each case would be subject to extensive screening and that the United States would remain responsible for funding, transportation, documentation and other operational requirements before any transfer could occur. Similarly, Antigua and Barbuda previously emphasized that its non-binding understanding with the United States has not been operationalized and that no arrangements have been made to receive third-country nationals. Officials stressed that any future transfers would require rigorous vetting and that the country would not accept individuals with criminal backgrounds.
The matter has also been discussed at the wider Caribbean Community (CARICOM) level. During their meeting in Saint Lucia last week, CARICOM Heads of Government acknowledged common concerns about the limited capacity of small island states to manage the transit of third-country nationals. They stressed that any arrangements should not compromise national security or divert scarce public resources from citizens, while noting that the proposed memoranda are intended to facilitate the transit of eligible individuals to their home countries rather than their permanent resettlement in participating states.
While reaffirming Antigua and Barbuda’s longstanding friendship with the United States, Browne’s administration has maintained that the government has a constitutional duty to protect the interests of its citizens. Officials said today’s parliamentary debate is intended to ensure that any future policy decisions remain subject to democratic oversight, transparency and parliamentary approval while safeguarding the country’s institutions, resources and social stability.
