Education Minister Daryll Matthew on Tuesday rejected opposition claims that Antigua and Barbuda lacks leverage in negotiations with the United States over the possible transfer of third-country nationals, arguing that the country’s greatest strength lies in remaining engaged and negotiating in the best interests of its people.
Speaking during debate on a parliamentary resolution establishing the framework for continued negotiations with Washington, Matthew took aim at comments suggesting Antigua and Barbuda “has no cards” to play because of its size and existing U.S. visa restrictions.
“We may have a small hand. We may have a small voice. However, we still have the responsibility to negotiate in the best interests of our people,” Matthew told Parliament. “The only time you have no cards is when you get them from the table and walk away.”
He said Antigua and Barbuda’s continued engagement with the United States demonstrates that discussions remain active and that opportunities still exist to secure terms that protect the country’s interests.
“He’s still at the table, and our friends in the United States are still at the table, so we’ll continue to look for the best outcomes for the people here,” Matthew said.
Matthew’s remarks came in response to opposition arguments that Antigua and Barbuda was negotiating from a position of weakness and should have adopted a different approach to the U.S. proposal.
Instead, the education minister argued that responsible leadership requires governments to remain engaged, even when negotiating with significantly larger countries.
Earlier in his contribution, Matthew said the issue of third-country nationals should never have become a partisan political matter, describing it as one requiring national consensus.
“There must be some things that, as a nation, we can collectively agree on,” he said. “This is one of them.”
He praised Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Ambassador Sir Ronald Sanders and the government’s negotiating team for bringing the White Paper and the resolution before Parliament, saying the move demonstrated transparency and allowed the public to understand exactly what was being discussed.
“I want to commend the Prime Minister… and the entire team that has been working diligently on this over the past six, eight months for putting everything here on the table,” Matthew said.
Matthew also rejected claims that the government had secretly agreed to receive third-country nationals, stressing that Parliament was not being asked to approve an agreement or commit Antigua and Barbuda to accepting anyone.
“This resolution is not committing the government to accept anyone,” he said. “We are not approving the operating procedures. We’re not committing to receive. What we’re doing is simply saying that we want certain issues satisfied.”
He outlined several conditions he said every Antiguan and Barbudan should expect in any eventual agreement, including a limit of 10 people for 2026, a complete prohibition on accepting criminals, no financial burden on taxpayers and the government’s continued right to reject any proposed transfer.
“Let’s start with 10 persons,” Matthew said, adding that the country could then assess whether such an arrangement benefited national development.
The minister warned that accepting convicted criminals could have devastating consequences for a small island state.
“Can you imagine if one convicted pedophile was deported to Antigua and Barbuda and just ran havoc in this country?” he asked. “Can you imagine if a serial killer was transferred from the United States to Antigua and Barbuda? … Can you imagine if a sophisticated gang leader came to Antigua and Barbuda?”
Matthew said those concerns justified the government’s insistence on retaining the right to refuse any individual proposed for transfer.
“There must be an opportunity for us as a nation to say, ‘This person, no,’” he said. “We have to have a framework in place that protects our national interests.”
He also argued that Antigua and Barbuda cannot afford to accept an arrangement that places additional pressure on limited housing, healthcare and other public services.
“I cannot, with a good conscience, tell my constituents that we had no cards, we had to take all of them, we had to put it on the taxpayers’ purse, we had to give them a job, we had to give them a house,” Matthew said.
Despite those concerns, Matthew said he believes Antigua and Barbuda and the United States are closer to an agreement than critics have suggested.
After reviewing the White Paper and the draft documents exchanged during negotiations, he said, “We’re not so far apart.”
Matthew concluded by again praising the government’s negotiating team for bringing the matter before Parliament and allowing the debate to be conducted openly.
“I want to commend the Prime Minister and his team for bringing this resolution to Parliament so that we can speak with clarity, so that the public understands exactly what it is we’re doing,” he said.
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