Antigua and Barbuda wants to limit a proposed arrangement with the United States to certain Caribbean, Brazilian and Colombian nationals, according to draft terms read publicly on Saturday.
The proposed operating procedures would allow the United States to put forward nationals of Caribbean Community countries, except Haiti, as well as nationals of Brazil and Colombia. A person from any other country could be proposed only if Antigua and Barbuda agreed in writing beforehand.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne discussed the draft on Pointe FM’s Browne and Browne Show, saying his government had revised terms sent by Washington and was awaiting a response. The nationality restrictions are Antigua and Barbuda’s proposal, not an agreement accepted by the United States.
Citizens and nationals of Antigua and Barbuda would be excluded from transfers under the draft. So would people under 18 and those with a known criminal history, apart from violations of U.S. immigration law.
Meeting the nationality rule would not guarantee a transfer. Each person would need a valid passport and a realistic, lawful route to return to their country of nationality or travel onward to another destination. Antigua and Barbuda would retain the right to approve or reject every proposed individual in writing before they were placed on a flight.
The draft also sets a maximum of seven transfers in any three-month period, while making clear that the government would not be required to accept any minimum number of people.
Browne did not explain during the broadcast why Brazil and Colombia were included or why Haitian nationals were excluded from the proposed list. No transfers under the revised procedures have been announced.
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Antigua wants TCN’s from Brazil, Colombia and CARICOM, except Haiti.

