Prime Minister Gaston Browne has warned that travel restrictions affecting Caribbean countries could damage long-standing economic and family ties with the United States, arguing that Caribbean nations are valuable partners rather than adversaries.
Browne made the remarks Sunday during his inaugural address as chairman of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Authority, where he called for a relationship based on mutual respect and cooperation between the region and the United States.
The Prime Minister said Caribbean governments recognize the right of sovereign nations to establish their own immigration and border security policies but urged U.S. authorities to consider the wider impact of restrictions on Caribbean citizens and economies.
“We acknowledge the sovereign right of all states to determine their border security policies,” Browne said. “We ask only that such rights be exercised with due regard for a historically close and mutually beneficial relationship.”
Browne argued that Caribbean countries contribute significantly to the American economy through trade, tourism, education and financial services.
“Our people purchase American goods, use American financial services, and send their children to American universities,” he said.
“We are beneficial partners for the American economy, not adversaries to be restricted.”
The Prime Minister noted that the United States enjoys a substantial trade surplus with the Caribbean and said policies that make travel more difficult could have unintended economic consequences for both sides.
“There are huge benefits to the U.S. economy,” Browne said. “The relationship is not one-sided.”
He also emphasized the importance of preserving family connections between Caribbean nationals and relatives living in the United States.
“Our largest diaspora is in the United States,” Browne said. “We need to ensure that the diaspora here in the Caribbean and certainly our people in the United States can move freely.”
Browne said stronger people-to-people connections have historically helped to strengthen economic, cultural and social ties between the Caribbean and North America.
The Prime Minister’s comments came as he discussed broader geopolitical challenges facing small island developing states and the need for regional cooperation in responding to external pressures.
At the same time, Browne reaffirmed Antigua and Barbuda’s commitment to collaborating with the United States on issues of shared concern, including crime prevention and regional security.
“We particularly stand with the U.S. in opposing drug trafficking and organized crime,” he said. “That is our mutual interest. We too want to make sure that we have safe and secure societies.”
Browne said Caribbean nations remain committed to constructive engagement with international partners while defending the interests of their citizens.
The remarks formed part of a wider address in which Browne called for deeper OECS integration, stronger economic cooperation and a more unified regional response to global challenges as he assumed the chairmanship of the OECS Authority from St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday.