UPP Announces a Better Managed Immigration System That Improves The Quality of Life For All
On forming the next Government, the UPP Administration will champion an immigration system that is more competent, compassionate and equitable.
“There are many areas that need to be better managed, ranging from indefinite periods for processing applications to a hostile environment, where non-nationals are made to feel like second class citizens,” UPP Leader, Harold Lovell observes.”
He further states, “At the heart of these new sweeping policies is the Party’s focus on ‘People First’ and our long-standing respect and connection to our Caricom brothers and sisters that have chosen to make Antigua and Barbuda their second home.”
The UPP has launched a printed brochure and an e-book entitled One Caribbean Vision, setting out a pro-prosperity approach to immigration.
These documents outline plans and policies under our One Caribbean Programme that eliminate work permit fees, reduce application fees and standardize processing times. Our plans also include an allowance for the transfer of work permits, which will enable greater job flexibility and movement within a specific industry, so that non-nationals can take advantage of more employment opportunities.
IMMIGRATION
Under our One Caribbean Programme, the UPP will:
– Amend the Constitution to allow people who have an Antiguan and Barbudan great-grandparent to secure their national passport by descent.
– Complete all citizenship applications within 90 days.
– Create a Department of Immigrant Affairs, guided by a Board of directors from within migrant communities.
– Establish an Immigrant Affairs Desk to promote the wellbeing of migrant communities, with multilingual staff to help applicants with all immigration matters.
– Grant a Residency Card as the first step towards obtaining citizenship.
– Establish a Citizenship Line to speed up the processing of persons applying for citizenship.
– Grant Family Citizenship under a skilled immigration programme.
– Activate the Immigration Appeals Tribunal to ensure quick settlement of immigration disputes.
EDUCATION
– The UPP Government will introduce an “Education For All” Policy which simplifies access to public and private schools for children of immigrants, once space is available. This policy will remove red tap and prevent discrimination in the school enrollment process.
– Immigration checks and Ministry of Education approval will no longer be required for school access by immigrant children.
– The New UPP Government will provide greater access to free public school education for immigrant children. We will construct a New Secondary School to serve the Rural West and Rural South Constituencies and add new smart classrooms to other school plants. This will reduce overcrowding and improve the learning environment.
JOBS & WORK PERMITS
Under our One Caribbean Programme, the UPP will:
– Implement a Work Permit Amnesty. Applicants will go through the same process, the work permit fee will be waived so they only pay the application fee, saving $500 to $800.
– Lower the cost of the Extension forms to $25.
– Introduce Transferable Work Permits that allow individuals to change employers within the same industry, without a new work permit.
– Waive the visa requirement for CARICOM Nationals who stayed out of the country for longer than the allowed time during the pandemic.
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Now THIS is People First Governance in the Sunshine!
Very well thought out policies.
Turns out its Gaston and ABLP that hate Non Nationals.
Gaston is the one that doubled the same work permit fees the UPP Government will eliminate.
VOTE DEM ALL OUT… to VOTE GASTON OUT!
Red Dead!
On Election Day its UPP All The Way!!!
Wha next.. wha next wha next.. desperation knows no boundaries. Lol
@ Just saying.
Please explain the immigration situation with our African brothers and sisters
@ Just Saying
You are right, the UPP are just as desperate as YOUR ‘god’ GASTON who has been literally begging Antigua people to re-elect them, ‘GIVE US ANOTHER CHANCE’…..the amount of promises made in the last week is ridiculous: I WILL FIND WORK FOR ALL THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHEN ELECTED, AS IF HE IS NOT IN POWER TODAY, I WILL BUILD A NEW PRISON, as if – I will construct five thousand more homes as we did in 50 days, lol once elected….I will solve the water problem by 1st February 2023, i.e. 14 days after they win the election on 18/01/2023- ‘just give us another chance”…..the only chance they will get is the one down at Deep Water Harbour……..as in the olden days: the brok foot industry.
NO MORE CHANCES- YOUR CHANCES ARE UP
The perpetrators claim that there was no such thing. I have first hand info
Are you worried that you will finally have to do something meaningful to earn your keep? It’s about time.
I agree with you my friend they are very desperate they seems like we forgot what they do to non-national here these wicked people I do not know why God when silence the amount and dumb them for the wickedness what they are done to us here I will take my work permit high I’m more than pick me up and put me on a plane with my child they forgot what they’ve done to house here
When Lovell get the rid of and lower all taxes and fees including APUA. How will he finance the country?
The UPP plan appears to be a bait and switch plan.
In the mean time previous UPP Manifestos promised
1 lower utility cost. Never happened
2 Unemployment benefit.. Never happened
3 low income housing. Never happened.
4 No new taxes. THAT WAS A LIE
5 Lower transport Board fees. Never happened
6 The Waddli Power Plant was suppose to lower the cost of electricity. DID NOT HAPPEN.
I do not appreciate Gaston and Lovell under estimating our intelligence.
Lovell is like a man trying to pursue a woman to leave her abusive husband. He will say and promise her the things he thinks she wants to hear while all the while knowing he can’t fulfill those promises. Lovell not because Gaston did it and got away with it means it is going to work for you. Some of us have not forgotten you piss poor performance especially when you were finance minister.
@ Black Hypocrisy
Your name is so apt, aka Gaston ‘tear-gas Brown’, we will always remember Gaston for NO STIMULUS DURING COVID, WHEN EVERY OTHER NATION ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH GAVE THEIR NATIONALS A STIMULUS, except, except, except, except ANTIGUA/BARBUDA:
GASTON HAS RAN THIS COUNTRY ON REEF. HE IS THE WORST PRIME MINISTER ANTIGUA HAS EVER EXPERIENCED.
HAROLD HAS NEVER BEEN PRIME MINISTER BEFORE, HE HAS TO FOLLOW THE DICTATES OF THE PM THEN.
You poor political fool. I’ll keep you in my prayers so that the day will come where you will stop making a fool of yourself for politicians.
PS I’m not Gaston Browne but you are the perfect example of a person who makes themselves into an arse by making assumptions.
I thought Mr. Lovell was the Prime Minister at some point. Antigua and Barbuda can’t get any worse than this under UPP but will certainly collapse if the ALP is given another term.
@ Melchesidec
Lovell never said he would get ‘rid of and lower all taxes’. The lower utility charges will happen because of the pass through mechanism which currently ABLP is gouging the people of.
Unemployment benefit, low income housing were all promised PRIOR to the 2014 election and the UPP was never re-elected, SO YOU ARE A LIAR Mr Water flowing in 14 days, well it’s now over 1400 days.
THERE ARE SO MANY EMPTY PROMISES MADE BY GASTON WHICH WERE NEVER FULFILLED LIKE ABST OFF FUNERAL COSTS ETC.
Lovell will finance the country when he doesn’t have to pay MAX FERNANDEZ $7,000,000 for a waste building, when he doesn’t have to fork out $76,000,000 for Fortuna pics books dumped at Cooks dump, when he doesn’t have to borrow U$200,000,000 three times just to pay operating expenses including public servants salaries, when HE DOESNT HAVE TO WASTE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON A ONE NATION CONCERT TO INDUCE PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR THE ABLP, AND FURTHER MILLIONS TO PAY BURNA BOY AGAIN TO INDUCE VOTERS.
DONT TALK ABOUT ALL THE LAND GIVEAWAYS TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY ROBBING THE TREASURY OF WELL NEEDED FUNDS
@gaston empty vessel promises Fact check: Check the 2009 manifesto and you will see not only the promise of unemployment (pg 7) benefits, but thousands (6k by end of 2009 term)of government built houses (pg 38). You really have no idea of how untruthful the UPP is
So Romantic rhythms was profitable and successful?
What’s up with all the promises get into office access the situation then plan a way forward seem sensible to me. Any other way is pure deception by UPP and ABLP.
DN
Are you comfortable with the Government with its borrowing practices? They have been getting some very hefty loans from all kinds of loan sharks at ridiculous interest rates and very clandestinely too. One more term for the ALP and China and some nefarious businesses my be on our shores, battling it out to be our new colonists
Why did you foolishly allowed the Labour Party to govern foolishly for 28 consecutive years?
Why did you expect UPP to repair all the damages done by ALP, and implement all their promises and expectations in 10 years?
The WPP was sabotaged by ALP operatives and then completely ignored by the Gaston Browne administration through lack of maintenance. Had to find something to blame UPP for just like the car park.
I’m not political but my question is, what is in this policy to encourage compliance? I see no wrong with the current policies which have been in place during both administrations. However, what I am seeing in these new proposals are trying to get votes from a noncompliant set which I am convinced will not happen. (The policy change I mean) When you give up fees, what how will you fund the process? It sounds good but I’m a bit confused.
@ A bit confused
Ask your two ‘gods’ CUTIE AND GASTON to give you a reminder of the SYRIAN RING just after they won the election the first time, then I will clear up your confusion afterwards!
Three cheers and amen to that!
This is open door immigration with useless platitudes. If this is the UPP”s policy, we’re better with ALP. We don’t need “equity” in our immigration (the UPP need to stop watching American tv). We need less immigration. The few resources we have can’t support all these hungry belly people. Antigua has no obligation to educate these hungry belly people, let them go home.
Since you are not political and you are a bit confused, ask Gaston why he had to borrow money every month although he collected $11 billions. Do you know what is one billion dollars?
Well, there will be more than enough dollars to finance UPP policies.
So, DON’T BE CONFUSED NO MO.
Dollars just have be expended properly.
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