Prime Minister Gaston Browne has announced that Parliament will debate the government's White Paper on a proposed agreement to accept third-country nationals deported from the United States before the end of this month.
According to Antigua News Room, Browne made the announcement during his appearance on the Browne and Browne Show on Saturday, noting that the White Paper has already been published to allow the public to review the proposal ahead of the parliamentary debate.
"We've put out the White Paper and I expect that sometime this month we'll have the debate in Parliament," Browne said.
The Prime Minister explained that 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, along with the conditions under which such an arrangement would operate.
Browne said the debate would give members on both sides of the House an opportunity to fully examine the proposal before any final decisions are made. He added that the session would allow the government to present the details of the arrangement and address questions raised by the public and opposition legislators.
The proposal has drawn considerable public discussion in recent weeks. The government has maintained that any such arrangement would be carefully managed and governed by strict conditions designed to safeguard the country's national interests.
