Prime Minister Gaston Browne on Tuesday sought to reassure Parliament that a memorandum of understanding signed with the United States last December does not legally bind Antigua and Barbuda to accept any third-country nationals or grant anyone an automatic right of entry into the country.
Responding to concerns raised during debate on a resolution governing negotiations with Washington, Browne said the memorandum simply established a framework for discussions and should not be interpreted as a commitment to receive migrants.
“The memorandum of understanding is not a binding agreement,” Browne told Parliament, stressing that it creates no legal obligation for Antigua and Barbuda to accept any individual proposed by the United States.
He said the government retains complete discretion over whether any person is accepted and noted that the memorandum does not override the country’s immigration laws or sovereign authority.
“There is no automatic right for anyone to come to Antigua and Barbuda under that memorandum,” Browne said, adding that every proposed transfer would remain subject to the government’s approval and the conditions established through ongoing negotiations.
The prime minister made the remarks after opposition members questioned why Parliament had been provided with an unsigned version of the memorandum during the debate.
Browne explained that it is generally not appropriate to publicly circulate diplomatic correspondence between governments. Instead, he said, the administration extracted the relevant provisions and incorporated them into the White Paper and parliamentary resolution so members could understand the substance of the negotiations without disclosing confidential state-to-state communications.
“When it comes to state-to-state correspondence, it is not good form to circulate the precise document publicly,” he said.
He added that the government later provided parliamentarians with a signed copy of the memorandum after questions were raised, despite it not being customary to release such diplomatic documents.
Browne also rejected suggestions that the memorandum itself authorizes the transfer of third-country nationals, saying any future arrangement would require additional negotiations and must comply with the principles approved by Parliament.
Those principles include preserving Antigua and Barbuda’s sovereign right to approve or reject every proposed transfer, prohibiting any automatic transfer programme, requiring complete documentation and security vetting, ensuring the United States bears all associated costs and allowing the government to terminate any arrangement if it no longer serves the national interest.
The prime minister emphasized that negotiations with Washington remain ongoing and that no final operational agreement has been reached.
“We have no binding agreement with the United States on that,” Browne said.
Parliament later approved the resolution establishing the framework under which the government will continue discussions with the United States while maintaining that no transfers can occur unless the conditions set by Antigua and Barbuda are satisfied.
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: PM Browne Says Memorandum of Understanding With US Does Not Legally Bind Antigua and Barbuda.