Sir Ronald Sanders

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The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has called on U.S. Cable network, NewsNation, to correct false claims made in a recent broadcast that unfairly linked the country to human smuggling activities.

The report alleged that Chinese migrants were being smuggled into the U.S. from “places like the Bahamas and Antigua,” further claiming that Chinese nationals are “buying up thousands of acres of land” in both countries.

In a letter sent to NewsNation, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, strongly refuted assertions made by Senior National Correspondent Brian Entin, in the story which aired on 29 January 2025 and was posted on the network’s Facebook page.

Ambassador Sanders said: “There is no truth to the claim that Chinese nationals are buying “thousands of acres of land” in Antigua, which is only 108 square miles in size”.

He also stated that the NewsNation report lacks any supporting evidence, while unjustly damaging Antigua and Barbuda’s international reputation as a premier tourism destination and a favored location for U.S. second-home owners”.

The Ambassador further emphasized that Antigua and Barbuda is not a transit point for human smuggling or trafficking.

He reaffirmed the country’s strong commitment to international security, noting that “Antigua and Barbuda work closely with U.S. law enforcement agencies, regional governments through the Organization of American States (OAS), and United Nations agencies to combat human trafficking and smuggling”.

The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has urged NewsNation to promptly issue a correction and remove the false statements to prevent further reputational damage.

Ambassador Sanders concluded by stating: “We expect responsible journalism from media networks with wide reach and influence. It is imperative that false claims that harm the reputation of nations are swiftly corrected.”

The Embassy has requested confirmation from NewsNation that the necessary corrections will be made immediately.