WASHINGTON, CMC—Antigua and Barbuda has formally requested clarification from the United States following reports that it has been placed on a “yellow list” of nations facing potential travel restrictions.
In a diplomatic note sent to the US State Department on Saturday, the Antigua and Barbuda Embassy in the US expressed deep concern over a March 15 article in The New York Times, which suggested that the country was among 22 nations that would be given 60 days to address unspecified “perceived deficiencies” or risk facing travel restrictions.
According to the newspaper article, a proposal developed by US diplomatic and security officials would include Antigua and Barbuda based on concerns that could consist of inadequate security practices for issuing passports, insufficient information-sharing on travelers, or selling citizenship to people from banned countries.
“The Embassy expresses its deep concern about these reports and respectfully requests clarification regarding whether the Department of State has drawn up such a list naming Antigua and Barbuda,” stated the diplomatic note obtained by the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
“The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has received no prior notice from any branch of the US Government regarding this matter and, thus, would be grateful for any official information the Department of State can provide.
“If the information in the article is accurate, the Embassy, mindful of the mutually beneficial relations between our two countries and determined to uphold these close ties, kindly requests details of any ‘deficiencies’ perceived by agencies of the United States so that they may be promptly discussed and remedied,” it added.
The diplomatic communication also reaffirmed Antigua and Barbuda’s commitment to maintaining strong bilateral relations with the US, highlighting that the country’s financial regulations fully align with the US Treasury’s sanctions policies.
The government further stressed that its Citizenship by Investment Programme does not accept applications from individuals originating from countries on a US-banned list and that all applicants undergo rigorous vetting by recognized international agencies, including INTERPOL, to ensure that no one with a criminal background or current charges, including terrorism, is considered.
The Antigua and Barbuda Embassy has requested a timely response from the US Department of State “so that we may continue to advance and safeguard the valued cooperation between our two countries.”
The travel restriction proposal referred to by The New York Times categorizes countries into three levels of restrictions: a “red” list of 11 nations whose citizens would be flatly barred from entering the United States, including Cuba and Venezuela; an “orange” list of 10 countries for which travel would be restricted but not cut off; and a “yellow” list of 22 nations, which would be given 60 days to clear up perceived deficiencies, with the threat of being moved to one of the other lists if they did not comply.
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