UPP Leadership calls on Cabinet to halt unilateral plans to legalize status of stranded Africans without consultation
The Leadership of the United Progressive Party (UPP) is calling on the Gaston Browne Cabinet to halt its unilateral plans to regularize the status of more than 600 West Africans “stranded” here with absolutely no consultation with the people or their elected representatives.
The UPP, like thousands of citizens and residents, demands to know who has offered the African visitors a choice; who has reported that they are likely to choose to stay; and what arrangement, exactly, will be made to ensure their status is legal?
The UPP and the public cannot accept that the Cabinet was unaware of “the circumstances under which the Antigua Airways flights were conceived and originated.”
After all, it was the Cabinet who announced this arrangement to the public and advised that Antigua and Barbuda had invested in the project via the issue of CIP passport files and was eligible to receive a percentage of the profits.
After having received four plane loads of these visitors – whom the Immigration Department issued visas on arrival – we will not accept that the Administration was duped into accepting hundreds of visitors who were not the “wealthy” investors promised by the Cabinet.
Now that it has been revealed that Antigua and Barbuda was merely a transit point and that these “visitors” will not be allowed to travel onward to other countries, the Administration cannot make a unilateral decision to legalize their stay.
It is bitterly ironic that, while the Cabinet requires more discussion on repealing the work-permit requirement for already resident nationals of the Dominican Republic and CARICOM, the Executive is considering legalizing the status of itinerant visitors with questionable financial support.
Has the Administration considered the implications such an action would have on employment opportunities, the housing market, the healthcare system, social integration, and the likely influx of their families?
Other than the obligations the Government appears to believe it has to these visitors, the UPP is curious to know whether the investor known to us as “Marvelous Mike” has no responsibilities for the hundreds of his countrymen left stranded here?
We urge the Cabinet to come clean on the genesis of this operation; to level with the people of Antigua and Barbuda; and, ultimately, to make other arrangements that will not bring further hardship to an already suffering and over-burdened population and an under-performing Administration.
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Is it still 600 or less. Let’s get the right figure before we just call a figure. If some have left already, how can it still be 600. Me jus’ a ask.
@Hmmmmm : Besides the humanitarian side of this situation, does UPP realize that Antigua is underpopulated? As a result, welcoming 700 Africans into our economic system will add to our tax net like Social Security, Medical Benefits, Inland Revenue etc.
Do you understand the term underpopulated? Antigua doesn’t even have enough resources to help people that live here, but its underpopulated? People here struggling to make ends meet, nahhh….We need to properly sort out ourselves first before even thinking of bringing in people to live.
Gaston Browne originally lied to the people of Antigua & Barbuda about this whole situation with the current displacement of the Africans.
We now see and understand what is really happening with them now, as they are displaced, deserted and desolate.
THE PM NOW HAS TO COME OUT AND EXPLAIN!
I like to think that I can understand and comprehend most things in life, but what baffles me most of all, is that I can’t get my head around the fact that this whole scenario didn’t seem legitimate in the first place.
Many informed and knowledgeable Antiguans said as much before the General Election; and yet, we allowed the lies and misinformation to HORNSWOGGLE us into re-electing this nefarious rabble from the ABLP. Why?
@ Brixtonian: It is obvious that those from UPP has ” a crab in a barrel mentality “. It is sad that slavery still exist among our very own people….. Because of Envy, jealousy & the feeling of being threatened we tend to stifle our very own black brothers and sisters. Come on UPP get real !! Refrain yourself from that white man mentality & free up the black man with the skin color & nappy hair like yours
What the hell are you talking about you damn idiot and stick to the subject. It is fools like you that are the reason that the outside world think that we are not critical thinkers when it comes to our politics and politicians.
Can somebody translate what Bluddy ‘ Talk a Load of Nonsense’ Bloke is trying to say?
And who is the “leadership”??? Surely not Pringle.
IF GOVERNMENT CANNOT PAY SALARIES OR PAY ITS SUPPLIERS, WHERE ARE THEY GETTING MONIES TO TAKE CARE OF 600 AFRICANS.
This was planned ALL ALONG BY GASTON AND THE ABLP.
FACTS!!
Whether Pringle is the leader is not the issue; the concern here is that fact that we have a government-sponsored human trafficking network in our country. Mr. Pringle is neither an orchestrator nor a participant in the scheme. You are a despicable mercenary.
And who is the “leadership”??? Surely not Pringle CA-CA-CAPA-SEE-TAH
C-O-N-S-C-I-E-N-T-I-O-U-S-L-Y (iShorna needs to teach him to read)
IF GOVERNMENT CANNOT PAY SALARIES OR PAY ITS SUPPLIERS, WHERE ARE THEY GETTING MONIES TO TAKE CARE OF 600 AFRICANS.
This was planned ALL ALONG BY GASTON AND THE ABLP.
@ Pringle ….. u probably didn’t do very well in school and you’re perhaps a laborite which goes hand in hand… Please stay focus on the real point which is its very concerning we bring these people here and want to legalized them. Incompetence at its best from this lying government that dont have a clue
You’re nothing short of a jackass
They don’t want a DUNCY BAT DEAD DARG PICKER UPPER “leading” them to PICK UP CORN READING
I WOULD RATHER HAVE A DUNCY BAT RULING THE COUNTRY, THAN A THEIFING SELF-ENRICHING GOVERNMENT AND MINISTERS RIPPING OFF AND DEFRAUDING THE PEOPLE OF ANTIGUA.
GIMME PRINGLE AND DECENCY AND HONESTY, NOT GASTON AND HIS ‘CREATIVE SCHEMES’ TO ROB ANTIGUA OF WHATS LEFT
It’s come to me knowledge that the Africans in question are in one way or the other not ready to invest into the economy, reason being they in Antigua for transit motives to their said destination hence they no find any point of interest in investing or settling into the country. Hundreds have left and hundreds still in the economy finding their ways in they gradual process. From all information me got from one of them , even if they’re being offered a choice most wouldn’t take it as they never intended to settle here. However they believe they final destination will be more fruitful and welcoming than Antigua . Irrespective of whatever situation that brought they into the nation we shouldn’t forget these Africans in question is our route and someday we shall need them . My utmost request “Grant them amnesty “
@ Barbara Schmidt
Obviously you are a minion already planning to us the Africans to vote for the ABLP in the future!!!!
Franz get blow like one road march on the 18th of January tell him Tek day in he nenen. will he be deported with the bullbud in his luggage?
Franz now fraid the word bullbud … telling paul people don’t like the word … Franz cutie used the bullbud on you … he realize he got the poorest results and a trashng
Every Antiguan has family members who left Antigua for th USA, Canada and other European countries, have done the same thing like the Africans. Some living abroad for years “with no papers” and work hard illegally to make a living.
Do we have the same concerns when Syrians, Chinese and the English Harbour-based expats come here? Why is it that only people who look like us have to endure this level of scrunity?
The security companies actively recruit workers from neighboring islands; the govt says that we have achieved full employment in the construction sector. The Africans will find work to do and start piecing their lives together
@DadliMan well said!!
You do not have to pray in perfect English for the lord to hear you.
I prefer to have as a leader, a person who cannot read, than someone who is a thief, who is Gaston Browne, and think the people he serve cannot read.
The issue is not whether people come but the conditions under which they come. If we had a situation where they voluntarily went to random airlines and purchased a ticket to Antigua, persons would not have denied the fact that they were indeed refugees and are seeking asylum. How can we be satisfied with persons who were tricked to come to Antigua under the disguise that they would have been given a gateway to America and now they are having talks about legalizing their status? Something is seriously wrong with us as a people. We need to see wrong and call it just that, no matter who does it.
Totally agree @ Pat, I concur … 👍
Pat, I also agree that there is more to this. And the government needs to have an investigation to see if the rumors are true that they were promised a gateway to the USA. But something definitely is not right in Nigeria. And if the government got egg in the face with this it certainly is not worse than buying an electrical plant for over US$50 million, which never worked. They need to have transparency in this and owe to their error. Glad they put a halt to it before it got worse. We can see if any other Caribbean Island wants to take up some of them. But we have to claim on the UN Funds for fugitives. We cannot burden the Treasury, like we did when we brought the Barbudans here and took care of them for month. These people will run out of money very soon. And they will need to be housed, fed and clothed.
Ask Gaston Browne to tell us who was instructing him to discredit the plant. You people are always caught in lies.
Do those people come on charter planes under the pretending to be wealthy tourists?
You need to get over the personal issue you have in class with pringle when he come first in class and you came last.
You need to get over when his classmates appreciate him and didn’t study you.
Give the young man a chance and stop fighting against youth empowerment .
We have some old dinosaur 🦕 have been in power for over 30 years and have raped the country and killed the dream of the citizens by self enrichment schemes
Charity begins at home, if there lives are threatened we should have some kind of consultation to see what provision can be made. My biggest problem is not the Africans but the government don’t look out for the citizens of this country but want rescue other countries
That is why on independence day when the labourites were jumping and dancing about so call antigans airwaves, Gaston sent foolie Max Fernandez and Chet Green at the airport to meet them. He and the minister of Aviation, stayed far away and didn’t show up.
This was a sinister plan and someone got paid. Does anyone believe these people now stranded hear, could come up with $5000.00 US? That’s a hell of a lot of money in Cameroon currency and Nigerian liera.
This was the original plan all along. Bring in the Africans, give them amnesty and pad up the voters list. Then they send for they family? It will not happen! Time for lying, crookish Gaston to go!
Hmmmmmmmmmmm
UPP really want an UNWED BABY-DADDY leading it?? 2018 he went government house with iShorna.
2023 he went government house with iShorna.
No engagement/wedding ring??
No official commitment to this young queen? He plan to do a Bruce Goodwin???
Bowen: MARRIED 1x
Serpent: MARRIED 1x
Richard: MARRIED Jamaican 1x
Pringle: ???????????? SHACKING UP?
Be a man. Make an honest woman out of Shorna. She not your arm candy!!
Sure she can try help you with Hooked On Phonics to remedy all de Corn You Picking Up
Theyare good in farming open a field we need produced to eat look at the prices of lettuce they need there own farm ,it’s really hard not doing nothing how are they eating rent to pay what’s going on with them I feel the pain of these people they are flesh and blood just like us and African people are very kind people help the people help help help them
What happened DUMB DUMB.
Did your mommy tells you that Pringle is the rider that didn’t take you when you were born?
All horses don’t ride alike.
Ask your mommy
This was a huge misstep by the Administration of Gaston Browne. He did say that WE THE PEOPLE BOUGHT 25% SHARES IN ANTIGUA AIRWAYS. That Airline does not exists. Gaston Browne,how much $$$ did it cost the Taxpayers of Antigua and Barbuda. For those so called shares in that non existent Airline. We the people have all of the rights to know. After all,a are we money eee beee. Gaston Browne,what has become of that Sheikh from the Old Road Project? What has become of Mike Tyson and Whoopi Goldberg and their respective Projects? Are you still going to make Mary J.Blige an Ambassador? Are you going to bring more losers to Antigua.Then give away our lands for crumbs from the table in the names of Investors.
To do human smuggling ,there first must be the involvement and agreement of the people to be smuggled and these African nationals are pawns in the Antigua Airways/ALP scheme. The sordid story has gone international and the Antigua and Barbuda government is scrambling to construct a cover. These people were never asylum seekers; they were supposed to be ‘high-end tourists and business people’, who were celebrated on their arrival. We know now that the exercise is a smuggling gone awry and there is presently a new issue to contend with. The second flight which landed on or about Christmas Eve of 2022 ,was a HI FLY MALTA charter, which is said to be fronting for an IRANIAN carrier named, MAHAN AIR and that’s what caused the Cabinet to break its silence but the U.S. Srate Department has already picked up on the action. It’s the worst I’ve heard from the Information Minister; his delivery was unintelligible rambling. ‘Sorry for the redundancy’. Maybe this development will finally urge our government to speak some truth.
Antigua is full, so send them home. ALP can’t pay wages, and the fragile infrastructure is crumbling under the weight of all these foreign hungry belly people. This small island was never intended to support this many people.
So when the UPP issued the Millenium passport they consulted with the then Opposition Antigua Labour Party? Cause I remember they were warned that it was un-constitutional, but they still went ahead. And remember what Baldwin Spencer always used to say, “Whether me consult with Tom, Dick or Harry, Ah fuh me decision”. So now that the election is over, the winner takes it all. Gaston run the country, UPP upset. Valiant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YmXuop8yAk
UPP did NOT consult with anyone about their “me-lend-you-un” passport. Neither did they consult with and received the required PARLIAMENTARY APPROVAL for the WADADLI POWER CAN’T
This is not about bashing an idea because it originated with UPP, Laborites. Antigua is struggling economically. The unemployment rate is sky high. Gaston Browne signed off on this whole Antigua Airways scam and his cabinet sat in silence and consented. We need to hear exactly what is going (don’t hold your breath) before this knee jerking decisions making. I don’t think you inferior minded minions fully understand the implications on our security and how the world will perceive Antigua and Barbuda. Let’s see how these clowns unravel this mess they have caused. Isn’t it profound how they barely scrapped out a win, so the scandals and spurious undertakings will stare them in the face?
From the Sideline please! You just acknowledged above that the government needs to look into this Antigua Airways mess. Now you are trying to drag a red herring across the path talking about the power plant. There is nothing that you or the alp can do to distract from this huge international fiasco that keeps getting bigger and bigger and deeper and deeper. I would advise Gaston to go into his pockets and pay for this mess because he is responsible now for returning these people to Africa.
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