Only West Africans with Visas will be allowed entry into A&B

Only West Africans who have visas to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or the European Union and the Caribbean will be allowed to enter Antigua and Barbuda.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne made that disclosure when he met with French Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda, Francis Etienne recently.

Browne said the twin-island nation will tighten up on entry requirements from West Africans following what has been described as a fallout with Cameroonians who arrived here on chartered flights between December and February.

During the discussions, both officials expressed concerns about migrant smuggling in their countries.

“What we have decided to do going forward, is to ensure that only those who have visas to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or the European Union and the Caribbean, before they leave, are allowed to land in Antigua and Barbuda,” Browne said

Browne said while the measures may seem to be a bit prejudiced it is necessary. He said the government genuinely hoped that its thrust to establish closer links between Antigua and West Africa but the hopes were dashed.

Hundreds of Cameroonians landed on Antigua and Barbuda and have been since smuggled out of the country. They said Antigua was never their final destination.

“Based on what happened there, which we never anticipated, was one of the unintended consequences. We recognize now that we cannot run the risk of having them opportunistically jump onto a plane and come to Antigua and Barbuda. That, unfortunately, is where good intentions were exploited by these individuals,” Browne said.

On March 28, a boat smuggling 30 West Africans to St Thomas capsized off the coast of St Kitts and Nevis. About 14 have perished while the others are being kept in a holding center in St Kitts.

Arrangements were being made to have them repatriated to Antigua and Barbuda but Prime Minister Browne has now indicated that his government has no intention to accept them.

“How do you feel about us taking them back? We want to treat them humanely. Our challenge is that they have claimed that sending them back to Cameroon would likely result in their death, but I am thinking, for those who have already left our shores, the question is, why bring them back when they are likely to smuggle out of the country again?” he added.

He said however that the Antiguan and Barbudan government is willing to work with France to get the Cameroonians back to West Africa.