LOOP: Antigua and Barbuda is standing firm on its decision not to accept the 14 Cameroonians, who are detained in St Kitts and Nevis after being rescued from a sinking boat in March, back into the country.
The government had previously said it would have accepted the West Africans once they are released from the custody of immigration officials on St Kitts and Nevis. But Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced the government was backtracking on the position because of fears they will attempt to leave Antigua and Barbuda again.
At yesterday’s post-cabinet media briefing, Information Minister Melford Nicholas explained the government’s U-turn came after some of the migrants and an Antiguan escaped from the confines of the St Peter’s Community Centre, which is located just outside the St Kitts and Nevis capital, Basseterre.
“If the persons, who were held in St Kitts, found a way to escape custody, clearly it was not with an intention of coming back to Antigua. So there seems to be an onward intent for them to continue to pursue entry into a US border,” he said.
Nicholas said the government does not want the Cameroonians to use “Antigua as a trans-migratory location”.
It will now be up to St Kitts and Nevis to repatriate the Cameroonians back home.
Nicholas said the government is continuing its assessment of the remaining West Africans in Antigua and Barbuda.
Once the assessment, which is being done in conjunction with the UNHCR and IMO is completed, a decision will be taken on who will be deported and who will be allowed to stay in Antigua.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health informed the cabinet on Wednesday that one of the Cameroonian women, who arrived in December 2022, will give birth to a baby in less than a week.
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title should be Gaston and the rest don’t wanna accept their responsibility of these souls and rather pass it off to someone else since they damn sure knew from the start that antigua was never the plan and it was always America
You sound like an idiot.
ABLP special guests are not wanted anymore? St Kitts should send them back to Antigua.
Why must it be up to St. Kitts-Nevis government to foot the bill for the repatriation of the Cameroonians?
They did not open their ports to persons of ill intent, passing them off as ‘tourists’ and ‘wealthy investors’.
It is unfair that having provided help when it was sorely needed In rescuing persons at sea, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda must dump their responsibility in their laps.
We don’t want to let them back in they will expose us that should read
All this to say that them nuh have no money?
We done know how Antigua ppl thirsty for anytime u wet dem hand. Dem country don’t even supply they own ppl with water
If Cameroon ppl were wealthy and money longer than Hadeed
Dem would never resist taking them back
You feel Antigua ppl nice?
Ah only because the African dem have no money simple!!
Antiguans Wutliss!!
Antigua or Gaston Browne? There’s a difference. Enquiring minds would like to know.
Please let common sense prevail and just send them back where they came from. That is what should have happened the instant you saw hundreds of people roaming the streets of St. John’s and hanging around on street corners in the city and in neighborhoods across the country, which is not tourist behavior. We don’t care what plot brought them here, they just need to go home or on to the US.
SKB should send them back on a boat or flight to Antigua. How can we be so wicked and deceptive. They came as rich tourists here, not on a regular flight but a Charter and promises were allegedly made to them to get to the US. How can we now say SKB must send them back? Do you see why efforts to strengthen regional integration often fail?
You bow to the slave masters, WHITES. How much do they spend on the Island when they come? These Cameroonians have given so much money to unscrupulous business people, landlords and currency exchange houses.
Show some respect. Can you buy a ticket to visit Africa? The colonial master trained you to borrow and live a cocun life..
.ental slavery
They spend more than the poor Cameroonians. They can pay for hotels that give people work. You’re talking as if they Cameroonians have made some kind of major contribution to this economy of this country — When in fact they’re receiving benefits like free work permits that Caribbean nationals have to pay for. Speaking of unscrupulous business people, those were fellow Africans that ripped them off in Nigerian, and it was an African in Antigua that scammed money from several of them for a fake charter out of Antigua. The Africans are killing themselves to go to the “slave master’s” country to become their slaves. So, sell your bullshit elsewhere we’re not buying.
To the economy
Do you we the distinct impression that the ALP government is just winging this, as they seem to do with everything? The Alph Nero stands out as a prime example. Gaston Browne and Cutie Benjamin are not trustworthy. They lie as easily as talk and change their minds and mouths as easy as the wind changes direction, to suit their purpose at any given moment.
First they wanted them back, now they don’t? I believe the initial knee-jerk reaction was to hurriedly return them to Antigua before they divulge any incriminating evidence. Where are the two “Antiguans” who escaped? At least we now know one is a spanish holding an Antiguan passport like so many other crooks.
Clean up your mess Prime Minister. You authorised the original entry of the Africans here in Antigua. Its happened on your watch, and now you’ve upset our Caribbean neighbours in St Kitt’s.
Maybe the silver lining in all of this, is that the Honourable Prime Minister of St Kitt’s and Nevis, Dr. Terrance Drew, will commence an investigation into how the Africans arrived in Antigua in the first place.
A PRIME MINISTER INVESTIGATING ANOTHER PRIME MINISTER SOUNDS GOOD TO ME, BECAUSE GASTON IS IGNORING EVERYONE ELSE. HMMM! 🤔
As the big 70s reggae tune goes: 🎶 “When Two Sevens Clash (A man ah go feel it) …”🎵
🎵 “When Two Sevens Clash (It bitter, bitter bitter) … “🎶
🎤 Haul and pull-up, wheeeeel and come again 🎧 from the one, the only and the original Brixtonian …
ROCKING TO THE RIDDIMS OF KING TROPICAL HI-FI … TELL YOU NO LIE 😉
WHAT ABOUT THE DEAD? THE GOVERNMENT PROMISE TO MAKE ARRANGEMENT FOR FUNERAL OF THE DEAD…DID THE DEAD DID SOMETHING TO CAUSE THE GOVERNMENT TO CHANGE ITS MIND
This is very simple Gaston clown…. just accept them back and deport them back to Africa!! This is your mess so take responsibility!!
St kitts be careful don’t start anything, don’t forget we have a one plane antigua airforce.
Now that’s funny!!!!!
Antigua government say they want to render help to Africans but in actual sense nothing to sure for it…. anyways God is watching…afterall the money Africans have spend here, they’re still regarded as slaves and unworthy people..not good
These are innocent people from a country torn apart by civil wars. These African brothers and sisters are honest hard work people. Yes their aim is to get to the USA and why not. There is a trail of Indians and Chinese that are using Antigua and the rest of the Caribbean to get to the USA . They are also those that are using citizen by investment route to get into the USA and Europe on our passports. So the rich white man uses money to buy passports. The poor Blacks walk for days, drown at sea , get abused by his own color. Have any of you read Africa underdeveloped by Europe or Africa underdeveloped by the white race.
God bless you for this writeup
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