United Progressive Party Senator Jonathan Wehner has warned that Antigua and Barbuda's agreement to accept deported third-country nationals from the United States poses a serious risk to the nation's tourism brand, according to Antigua Observer.
Speaking in an interview with Observer media, Senator Wehner said that inflammatory language used by the US State Department to describe the deportees could trigger travel advisories that deter American visitors from choosing Antigua and Barbuda as a destination.
"If the United States of America continues the rhetoric that they are keeping America safe by deporting these third country nationals, who are the most despicable perverts, pedophiles, rapists, and child rapists to keep their country safe; if that's the narrative that their government continues to peddle, and in the State Department, you have those travel advisories that the United States mentions – if these countries are seeing the level of security and safety within these countries …" he said.
Senator Wehner stressed that the fallout would not be limited to American tourists. He argued that in today's fast-moving media environment, negative coverage of the arrangement would quickly reach European and other international markets.
"That's going to affect our tourist product. That's going to affect our brand. And not just Americans. We are living in a globalised world now, where news travels fast. Everybody can see the news as it happens. So other countries in Europe and so on will be seeing these things," he said.
The senator also raised concerns about the legal standing of deportees once they arrive on local soil, warning that existing legislation leaves the matter unresolved.
"And we don't even know what their legal status will be here in Antigua and Barbuda because there are so many problems with our laws," he said.
Senator Wehner's remarks follow a UPP town hall meeting held last Thursday at the Moravian Conference Centre at Cashew Hill. Panellists at the event addressed a range of concerns tied to the memorandum of understanding with the United States, including public safety, labour relations, and government transparency.
