Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle has accused the Gaston Browne administration of failing to negotiate favorable terms with the United States in its proposed third-country deportee arrangement, arguing that the agreement reflects compliance rather than diplomacy.
Speaking at a United Progressive Party town hall meeting on the government’s White Paper, Pringle said he found no evidence that Antigua and Barbuda successfully negotiated protections for the country before agreeing to accept third-country deportees.
“We would have heard the Prime Minister boasting… about his skill in the field of diplomacy,” Pringle said. “But again, from reading the document, there is no negotiation. There is a situation that they’re sending these persons and we have to accept them.”
Pringle said the White Paper itself indicates that the United States submitted draft operating procedures after the Memorandum of Understanding was signed, while the government later developed counterproposals. However, he noted that neither the MOU nor the government’s counterproposals have been made public.
He argued that Parliament and the public are therefore being asked to debate the government’s interpretation of the agreement rather than the agreement itself.
The opposition leader questioned whether the Prime Minister’s diplomatic approach had produced meaningful results, pointing to other international issues affecting Antigua and Barbuda.
“We have not seen that skill,” Pringle said, referring to Canada’s visa restrictions and concerns over potential changes to travel arrangements with the European Union. “Because we are under visa restrictions by the U.S. And certainly, to make matters worse, we are looking to lose visa-free access to the EU.”
Pringle said the government has repeatedly failed to keep the public informed about negotiations despite the significance of the proposed arrangement.
“This situation isn’t an easy situation,” he said. “And we cannot honestly debate a situation without the information for us to debate the situation.”
He also criticized what he described as a lack of transparency and public consultation, saying the government had already committed Antigua and Barbuda to the arrangement before seeking parliamentary debate.
“The actual text of the MOU remains private,” Pringle said, adding that citizens can only rely on what the government chose to include in the White Paper rather than reviewing the agreement for themselves.
Pringle further argued that the Prime Minister has already acknowledged that the transfers will proceed.
“He admitted it’s not if they are coming,” Pringle said. “He confirmed they’re coming.”
The government has said Parliament will debate the White Paper outlining the proposed third-country deportee arrangement with the United States.
Source: Antigua News Room Pringle Says Government Failed to Secure Better Terms in US Deportee Agreement.