Third-country nationals transferred from the United States would be admitted to Antigua and Barbuda only on a designated temporary status under terms the government has proposed to Washington.
The draft procedures, read Saturday on Pointe FM’s Browne and Browne Show, describe Antigua and Barbuda as a place of temporary reception and transit, rather than permanent settlement. Prime Minister Gaston Browne said the government wants safeguards to ensure it is not left responsible for people who have no way to leave.
Under the proposal, transfers would take place at V.C. Bird International Airport, where U.S. Department of Homeland Security personnel would hand individuals over to Antigua and Barbuda’s immigration authorities. Each person would have to be approved in writing by the government before being placed on a flight.
The draft says admission would be governed by Antigua and Barbuda’s laws. Before the first transfer, the government would establish the duration and conditions of the temporary status.
A transfer would not, by itself, give a person permanent residence, citizenship, refugee status or permission to work. It also would not bar someone from applying for protection or another status after arrival. Any such application would have to be considered under Antigua and Barbuda’s laws and international obligations.
The proposed terms call for the United States to support and fund voluntary return or lawful onward travel. If a person is required to leave Antigua and Barbuda but cannot lawfully or practically return to their country of nationality, the draft calls for U.S. assistance in finding another lawful destination acceptable to Antigua and Barbuda. Financial and other agreed support would continue while that outcome is arranged.
Browne said Antigua and Barbuda has sent its revised terms to the United States. The temporary admission arrangements remain a proposal, and no first transfer has been announced.
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: U.S. Deportees Would Receive Temporary Status Under Antigua’s Proposal.