Minister for Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Trade, E. P. Chet Greene said the United States move to temporarily ban some Green Card applications was fair given the circumstances.
The measure is expected to affect some Antiguans and Barbudans seeking permanent residency in the US.
On Wednesday US President Donald Trump tweeted, “I will be signing my Executive Order prohibiting immigration into our Country today.”
“When we heard the announcement first, it sounded like a cancellation of all Immigration arrangements but then it was qualified and clarified by the White House”, Minister Greene said adding, “It’s about residence, Green Cards and so I think it’s a fair position at the moment given the circumstance.”
“As we know Immigration is not a right, it’s a privilege and for the US to at this stage sort of temper its distribution of Green Card privileges is it quite, quite reasonable”, the Minister said.
Greene added “we have to watch, however, because you know President Trump’s platform has, even before he became president, highlighted an America-for-Americans-only approach and so whether this would morph into more of what we have been hearing before, is left to be seen but I think, on the face of it, if it only addresses Green Card holders, then I think it’s a fair call at the moment as the assess the fallout from COVID and recalibrate their own economy”.
President Trump’s Executive order is expected to stop the practice of green card holders sponsoring their extended families for permanent US residency, which the president calls chain migration.
The order, however, makes an exception for American citizens’ spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21.
The measure is to last for 60 days and then could be extended the President said.
The order also suspends the Diversity Visa Lottery, which issues about 50,000 green cards annually.
Also exempt are the hundreds of thousands of green card applicants already living and working in the US, and those seeking entry to work as doctors, nurses or other healthcare professionals.
Another exception is the hundreds of thousands of temporary guest visas issued each year to such applicants as farm labourers and skilled workers in the H-1B visa programme.
Trump said the order is designed to protect American workers’ jobs in an economy pummelled by the coronavirus.
Critics have accused him of using the pandemic as cover to ram through long-sought hardline immigration policies in an election year.
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Oh!
Keep a close eye on the Trumpers. There may e more to this than appears. It sounds reasonable, but time will tell.
Good!! Let the U.S harvest their own food for a change. They only want “low skilled” workers that they think they are too good to do. They want to eat? Get dirty. Make America Work Again! HAHA
This is a real messed up story isn’t Mr Greene the Immigration minister?
What is the like government policy for Antigua and Barbuda?
Why comment on what Trump is doing to protect his people?
Tell us the plans to protect Antiguans?
Wake up people? Then do not care about us….
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