Opposition Senator Malaka Parker has called for Antigua and Barbuda to adopt a modern, fair and humane immigration system that provides non-nationals with a clear and predictable pathway to legal status and citizenship, rather than leaving them vulnerable to recurring political amnesties.

Speaking during the Senate debate on the Immigration and Passport (Amendment) Bill, 2026, Senator Parker said the Opposition supports the principle of regularising the status of long-term residents. However, she argued that the legislation fails to address the underlying weaknesses in the country’s immigration system and instead perpetuates uncertainty for thousands of law-abiding people who have contributed to Antigua and Barbuda for many years.

“People who have worked, raised families, paid taxes, built businesses and contributed to our society deserve a fair, transparent and dignified process, not a system where their future depends on periodic political favors and amnesties.”

Senator Parker questioned why, after more than a decade in office, the Government continues to rely on immigration amnesties instead of implementing lasting humane reforms to give Non Nationals greater opportunities.

“Amnesties should be exceptional. When they become recurring features of immigration policy, they signal that the system itself has become something else.”

She highlighted what she described as a troubling contradiction in Government policy.

“This is the same Government that increased immigration extension fees and other charges for non-nationals, making it more difficult and more expensive for many people to maintain lawful status, doubling all the fees a few years ago, on thousands of Non Nationals trying to make Antigua and Barbuda their home. Now it presents itself as compassionate by offering another amnesty on the eve of an election. Parliament is entitled to ask whether Government is solving a problem that its own harsh policies helped to create.”

Senator Parker called on the Government to disclose:

• how many persons became undocumented because of rising fees;
• how many lost legal status due to administrative delays;
• how many were affected because employers failed to renew work permits;
• how many applications remain pending from previous regularisation exercises; and
• how many persons continue to live in uncertainty despite repeated promises of reform.

She also raised concerns that the Bill leaves too much discretion in the hands of the Executive without sufficient procedural safeguards.

“No person’s future should depend solely on ministerial discretion. Every applicant should have the right to written, an independent appeal, and a decision within a reasonable period. Immigration should be administered according to law and transparently, not political convenience.”

Senator Parker proposed several reforms to strengthen the legislation, including:

• a clear statutory pathway from regularisation to permanent residence and citizenship;
• independent appeal rights;
• protection for applicants from deportation while their applications are under consideration;
• mandatory reporting to Parliament on the operation of the amnesty programme;
• safeguards to protect migrant workers from exploitation by employers who fail to comply with their own legal obligations.

She stressed that the debate should not be framed as one of Antiguans and Barbadians versus non-nationals. Senator Parker stated that the Labour Party has been using the same political playbook by dividing the nation.

“This is about the kind of country we want to be. A confident nation does not govern through uncertainty or fear. It governs through fairness, transparency and respect for the dignity of every person who lawfully contributes to its development.”

Senator Parker concluded by urging the Government to reduce the cost of the amnesty applications and urged the Government to move beyond temporary political measures and pursue comprehensive immigration reform.

“Antigua and Barbuda needs an immigration system that is principled, predictable and humane. We should not ask people to spend years building their lives here only to leave them dependent on periodic political amnesties. We owe them something better, a fair and lawful path to belonging.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Senator Malaka Parker Calls for Fair, Dignified and Humane Path to Citizenship for Non-Nationals.