Antigua and Barbuda authorities have confirmed that the country will not be granting visa-free entry to Bangladeshis in the near future.
Announcing the news, Minister of Information Melford Nicholas said that the decision follows a proposal for unrestricted travel between the two countries, VisaGuide.World reports.
Minister Nicholas stressed that while the idea of permitting full visa-free entry for Bangladeshi citizens was considered, the proposal was not approved due to potential immigration concerns.
Minister Nicholas stressed that the country is concerned about a high number of Bangladeshi nationals potentially coming to Antigua and Barbuda.
This, according to the authorities, could cause concerns for their partners, especially for those in the Schengen Area, and Bangladeshi nationals might try to enter Schengen countries without holding the necessary documents once they are in Antigua and Barbuda.
Even though the Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda discussed the possibility of permitting Bangladeshi diplomatic passport holders to have more freedom when traveling to the country, this idea was also not pursued.
This means that not only regular Bangladeshi passport holders but also those holding diplomatic passports will not be granted visa-free entry into Antigua and Barbuda.
Minister Nicholas said that the authorities might revisit this option later, suggesting that simpler rules might be introduced for Bangladeshis with diplomatic status.
While Antigua and Barbuda has decided not to drop the visa requirement for Bangladesh, the country stressed that it will move on with the plan to open a consulate in Bangladesh.
Commenting on the plans, Minister Nicholas said that the opening of the consulate is in line with the foreign policy objective and that this move would not harm the relationship between the two countries.
Since Antigua and Barbuda has decided not to drop the visa requirement for Bangladeshis, the latter will continue to be required to apply for a document in order to be permitted entry to the country.
In addition to needing a visa to enter Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladeshi nationals need a visa to enter 150 other countries.
According to the VisaGuide Passport Index, the passport of Bangladesh currently ranks 189th in the world, with a passport score of 12.97.
Bangladeshis can enter only 20 countries visa-free, and they are banned from entering three countries: Lybia, Sudan & Iraq. SOURCE/VISA GUIDE
