ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC –The Antigua and Barbuda government is mo9ntiroing a High Court case in Trinidad and Tobago where a judge has temporarily blocked the Immigration Department from deporting five Cameroonians who arrived there last November after fleeing their homeland, fearing they would have been killed by military forces there.
Last Tuesday, Justice Carol Gobin granted the application to the lawyers representing the African nationals less than four hours before they were to be placed on a flight to Panama and then back to Cameroon.
Governor General, Sir Rodney Williams, delivering the traditional Throne speech at the opening of the new Parliament following the January 18 general elections, said that the Gaston Browne administration, which is dealing with a similar situation where hundreds of people from Cameron are stranded here, is aware of the High Court ruling in Port of Spain.
“My government notes with interest the decision of the High Court in Trinidad and Tobago less than a week ago to prevent the Trinidad and Tobago government from deporting the West Africans back to their homeland.
“My government further notes that the UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) played a significant role in stopping the deportations. My government must consider the High Court decision and the role of the UNHCR before making its final decision,” Sir Rodney said.
Earlier this month, following the weekly Cabinet meeting, Information Minister Melford Nicholas told reporters that the government had decided. At the same time, West Africans will not be afforded Antiguan and Barbudan citizenship, those who choose to remain here could be offered residency and work permits.
The government had previously announced that the hundreds of Africans who arrived in the country on charter flights in recent months would be allowed to remain.
“Antiguan passport? No, I don’t think that is on the cards, but the idea of residency and work permits is certainly part of the legal framework we are considering,” Nicholas told the media.
Nicholas said the Immigration Department had been tasked with tracking down and investigating how many Africans would like to be repatriated – as the government has also offered – or remain in the country. But, according to Nicholas, Cabinet has yet to receive an update.
He did, however, say that for those who wish to stay, the government will look at various options to ensure they do so legally while contributing to the country’s economic growth.
Earlier this month, the government said that 637 of the more than 900 people who touched down between November and January remained in Antigua. Many of them are Cameroonians fleeing a bloody conflict back home.
The main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP), called for a Commission of Inquiry to determine whether the authorities here are engaged in human trafficking after supporters staged a protest action against the government’s decision to legalize the status of hundreds of African migrants.
Opposition Leader, Jamale L. Pringle, told reporters that “there is some semblance of human trafficking, “adding, “we are asking the government to come clean on this matter, and how we can be comfortable knowing that this situation is legitimate is by a public inquiry.
“We are just making our voices be heard. We are just showing our presence here asking for the government to call an inquiry into this situation where we are now seeing over 700 persons on the ground, and they are not in a comfortable position,” Pringle said as he led the “peaceful protest” outside the office of the Prime Minister earlier this month.
But Sir Rodney told legislators on Monday that the West Africans will be treated respectfully.
“My government has a history of demonstrating its concern for the more vulnerable, defenseless, and persecuted. My government is committed to protecting all residents from exploitation and harsh treatment and would never have our West African brothers and sisters dwell illegally in the shadows”.
He said the government would also not allow “our kith and kin to be subjected to exploitation and harsh treatment by those who may seek to create victims.
“My government has extended amnesty four times over the past eight years from immigrants who fail to maintain lawful status. No foreign national, except for criminals, should fear deportation,” Sir Rodney added.
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