Antigua to resume talks with US on TCN deal

WASHINGTON (CMC):

Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, says discussions with the United States Government are expected to resume shortly, at Washington’s request, on the possible reception by Antigua and Barbuda of a limited number of third-country nationals (TCNs) removed from the United States.

The talks form part of a broader US initiative involving a number of countries, including several CARICOM member states.

Antigua and Barbuda will enter the renewed negotiations on the basis of a resolution adopted by the House of Representatives earlier this year, which established the principles and safeguards governing the country’s participation in any such arrangement.

Among those safeguards is the preservation of Antigua and Barbuda’s sovereign authority to approve or reject every individual proposed for transfer on a case-by-case basis.

The parliamentary framework rejects any automatic or open-ended programme and requires satisfactory legal, operational, financial and administrative arrangements before any transfer can take place.

These include adequate provisions relating to identity and documentation, accommodation and support, legal status, security, funding, and responsibility for onward movement or return.

The negotiations will be conducted under the oversight of Prime Minister Gaston Browne; Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Sir Steadroy Benjamin; and Minister of Foreign Affairs E.P. Chet Greene.

According to Sanders, no final agreement has been reached with the United States, and no transfer of any TCN has been authorised under the proposed arrangements.

He said the purpose of the renewed discussions is to determine whether terms can be agreed that are consistent with the parliamentary framework, Antigua and Barbuda’s laws, its international obligations and the national interest.

The Government of Antigua and Barbuda, he said, continues to approach the discussions in a spirit of cooperation with the United States while ensuring that the country’s sovereignty, security, financial interests and limited absorptive capacity are protected, and that its legal and international obligations are respected.

Consistent with its commitment to transparency, the government said the public will continue to be updated on the status of the negotiations and any material developments.