Former Assistant Commissioner of Police Nuffield Burnette is warning that Antigua and Barbuda is not prepared to receive third-country deportees from the United States, arguing that the country is already struggling with crime and policing challenges that would be compounded by the proposed arrangement.
Speaking during a United Progressive Party town hall meeting on the government’s White Paper, Burnette described the proposal as “potentially complex” and questioned why Antigua and Barbuda would agree to take on additional responsibilities when its law enforcement system is already under pressure.
“If it is that law enforcement are not coping normally, domestically, so to speak, what about a situation led by the White Paper?” Burnette asked. “We have to say to the powers that be, while we have a chance, that we are not in favor of what we see coming potentially.”
Burnette challenged the widely held perception that Antigua and Barbuda is among the safest countries in the Caribbean, arguing that focusing solely on homicide rates ignores the prevalence of violent home invasions and other crimes that leave lasting trauma on victims.
He pointed to a series of home invasion killings carried out by young offenders several years ago, saying such crimes demonstrate that the country’s public safety challenges are more serious than official comparisons with neighboring states suggest.
“Nothing is more traumatizing than crimes to do with home invasion,” Burnette said. “Our house is our castle, and if people are invading homes and sexually molesting persons within the four walls of that sanctity, then we have a serious problem.”
The retired senior police officer also questioned the reliability of official crime statistics, saying many incidents go unreported and others are allegedly downplayed.
“I deliberately did not come here tonight with any stats,” he said. “The stats are not accurate. Persons do not report everything, and what is presented to the public does not always reflect the true state of crime.”
Burnette was equally critical of the Royal Police Force’s ability to respond to existing criminal activity, citing delayed responses, leadership shortcomings and declining performance.
“We are not coping properly with the state of affairs as it relates to crime in Antigua and Barbuda,” he said. “Police do not respond in a timely manner, sometimes do not respond at all, and other times are downright tardy.”
Against that backdrop, Burnette said accepting third-country deportees would introduce additional complexities that the country is not equipped to manage.
He noted that the White Paper refers to categories of people including asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons, while Antigua and Barbuda has no laws specifically designed to accommodate them.
“Our laws do not make provision to accommodate any of it,” Burnette said. “That is the frightening part that really jumped out at me.”
Burnette said the proposal warrants broad national discussion before any decisions are made, describing the issue as one with significant implications for public safety and law enforcement.
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