Antigua and Barbuda Proposes Seven U.S. Deportees Per Quarter Instead of Seven Monthly

As negotiations continue over a highly controversial migration transfer arrangement between Washington and the eastern Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, the Caribbean country has formally rejected a United States proposal to accept seven third-country deportees each month, and put forward a far less demanding counteroffer of accepting a maximum of seven deportees every three months. \n\nAntigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne revealed his government’s updated negotiating position during an appearance Saturday on the *Browne and Browne Show* broadcast by Pointe FM, explaining that the revised offer came out of the most recent round of diplomatic talks with U.S. officials. \n\n“Just over a week ago, we received the U.S. proposal that we take seven persons per month, and we told them directly that this volume is too high for our country to accommodate. We’ve proposed instead that we will accept seven per quarter,” Browne stated publicly during the interview. \n\nIf the counterproposal is accepted by Washington, the maximum annual number of transferred deportees would stand at 28 people, though Browne emphasized that discussions are still ongoing and no final terms have been agreed upon. \n\nThe prime minister confirmed that Antigua and Barbuda has already sent its counterproposal back to the United States, alongside a series of additional safeguards that outline strict criteria for which individuals can be transferred to the Caribbean nation. \n\nBrowne noted that his administration is working to reach a compromise that upholds Antigua and Barbuda’s sovereign national interests while preserving cooperative relations with the United States. “We are cooperating with our partners, but our priority in these negotiations is to secure the best possible outcome for Antigua and Barbuda under the current circumstances,” he said. \n\nThe counterproposal is now awaiting review and consideration by U.S. government officials. In a move to reinforce transparency, Browne also pledged that any finalized agreement reached between the two governments will be submitted to Antigua and Barbuda’s Parliament for formal approval and opened to full public scrutiny.