Letter reveals Antigua’s conditions for accepting third-country nationals from US

A letter sent in August 2025 by Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, outlines detailed conditions under which the twin-island nation would consider accepting third-country nationals, including refugees, as part of a proposed arrangement with Washington. The existence of the correspondence predates the government’s announcement earlier this month that an agreement had been reached, even as officials insist the arrangement remains non-binding and has not been operationalised.

- Advertisement -

The letter, dated August 11, 2025, was addressed to Mike Kozak, a senior official in the US State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. In it, Sanders thanked US officials for what he described as constructive discussions and confirmed the Antigua and Barbuda Embassy’s receipt of a July 28, 2025, diplomatic note transmitting draft proposed text for an understanding between the two governments.

The disclosure comes amid public concern that Antigua and Barbuda could be positioned as a destination for people the United States is unable to return elsewhere. The government has pushed back on that characterization, maintaining that no binding commitments exist and that any future arrangement would include strict safeguards.

According to Cabinet notes issued on January 8, 2026, Prime Minister Gaston Browne told ministers that the proposed memorandum of understanding would allow the United States to propose transfers strictly on a case-by-case basis. Antigua and Barbuda, he said, would retain an “absolute right to reject” any individual, with transfers capped at no more than 10 people per year.

However, the embassy letter itself proposes a slightly different ceiling. In a section addressing capacity, it suggests a hard annual cap of no more than 12 people in aggregate per calendar year, including immediate family members. The letter points to Antigua and Barbuda’s small-state constraints, referencing a population of approximately 95,000 and a land area of about 440 square kilometres.

Sanders’ correspondence also sets out proposed duration and exit conditions. It calls for temporary immigration status for accepted transferees for up to 24 months, with any extension requiring mutual consent. Crucially, it includes a re-transfer guarantee, under which Antigua and Barbuda could request the individual’s return if the transferee and immediate family fail to achieve self-sufficiency within that period. Under the proposal, the United States would accept the return and arrange transportation within 30 days.

Financing is another central pillar of the proposed framework. The letter seeks to place the full cost burden on the US side, stating that the United States or a designated agency would issue a funding letter covering transportation, pre-arrival screening, reception, accommodation, subsistence, healthcare, language services, education for minors, and case management for up to 24 months, subject to US appropriations.

The embassy further proposes a 12-month pilot period that would automatically expire unless renewed by mutual written consent, following a review by a joint consultative committee.

On eligibility, the letter stipulates that transferees should have no criminal convictions other than immigration-status offences, no pending charges, and no association with terrorism, organised crime, or sanctions lists. Beyond criminality, it adds additional thresholds, proposing that eligible individuals possess a certified skill or professional licence recognised by Antigua and Barbuda’s relevant regulatory authorities and demonstrate at least basic working proficiency in English.

What remains unclear is whether the United States accepted these proposed edits or whether a final text reflecting these conditions was ever agreed. Cabinet has said that if the country moves to operationalise the understanding, it would make a public announcement outlining safeguards and procedures.