Antigua and Barbuda will refuse to accept any third-country nationals deported from the United States unless Washington agrees in advance to bear the full financial cost of their reception, housing, healthcare, security and any future removal. The Government's position is laid out in a newly released White Paper on the proposed arrangement, according to Antigua News Room.
The document states that no individual should be transferred from the United States until a binding written commitment has been secured guaranteeing that neither Antigua and Barbuda nor its taxpayers will bear any financial burden for accommodating deportees who are not its nationals.
Under the Government's counter-proposal, the United States — or an international agency approved by Antigua and Barbuda — would be required to cover the full cost of reception, settlement, accommodation, subsistence, healthcare, welfare support, security services, administrative processing and any onward travel or return arrangements for each transferred individual.
"The Government will not grant approval for any transfer unless a binding written commitment to full financial responsibility has been received and accepted," the White Paper states.
The document further warns that the arrival of any person who has not been approved, or whose costs have not been fully secured in advance, would be treated as a violation of the proposed arrangement.
The White Paper argues that Antigua and Barbuda, as a small island developing state with limited land, financial resources and public services, cannot be expected to subsidize another country's immigration policy. It notes that the financial implications extend well beyond initial reception, placing long-term demands on healthcare, social services, law enforcement, housing and government administration.
"The reception, settlement, accommodation, healthcare, welfare support, security support, administrative processing, and onward or return arrangements all carry financial and operational consequences," the document states, warning that those burdens would weigh heavily on a country of Antigua and Barbuda's size unless fully funded in advance.
The Government also cautions that accepting third-country nationals could expose Antigua and Barbuda to significant legal obligations under international treaties, particularly if individuals seek asylum or become effectively stateless after arrival. In such cases, the state could face ongoing costs associated with supporting individuals who cannot legally be returned to their country of origin.
The White Paper identifies these concerns as among several shortcomings found in draft operating procedures submitted by the United States. As reported by Antigua News Room, some of those proposals failed to include a binding commitment requiring Washington to meet the full cost of reception and settlement, while also leaving unresolved questions about legal status, operational responsibility and long-term support for transferred individuals.
Officials describe full funding as one of five core principles underpinning Antigua and Barbuda's counter-proposal. The others include preserving the country's sovereign discretion to approve or reject every proposed transfer, limiting eligibility to carefully screened individuals with final removal orders, capping any arrangement at no more than 10 people during 2026, and protecting Antigua and Barbuda's legal and sovereign interests throughout the process.
Despite setting out strict financial safeguards, the Government makes clear that those protections alone would not be sufficient to secure its participation. The White Paper states that if Antigua and Barbuda is to assist the United States by receiving third-country nationals, there must also be meaningful reciprocal benefits in the national interest — beyond cost reimbursement — including consideration of lifting blanket U.S. visa restrictions currently affecting Antiguan and Barbudan citizens.
