Prime Minister Gaston Browne says the government’s White Paper on the proposed agreement to accept third-country nationals deported from the United States is expected to be debated in Parliament later this month.

Speaking on the Browne and Browne Show on Saturday, Browne said the document has already been published to give the public an opportunity to review the proposal before lawmakers consider it.

“We’ve put out the White Paper and I expect that sometime this month we’ll have the debate in Parliament,” Browne said.

He said the White Paper outlines the proposed framework under which Antigua and Barbuda could accept a limited number of third-country nationals removed from the United States, while setting out the conditions under which such an arrangement would operate.

Browne said the parliamentary debate will provide members of both sides of the House with an opportunity to discuss the proposal before any final decisions are taken.

The issue has generated public discussion in recent weeks, with the government maintaining that the arrangement would be carefully managed and subject to strict conditions designed to protect the country’s national interests.

Browne said the parliamentary debate will allow the government to explain the details of the proposal and respond to questions raised by the public and opposition legislators.

Source: Antigua News Room White Paper on US Third-Country Nationals to Reach Parliament This Month.