All but one of the detainees who escaped in St Kitts and Nevis have been captured by police there. Last week, nine people escaped from a holding center; eight Cameroonians and one Antiguan.
The Antiguan and Barbudan national whom authorities have named Nicholas Santana Areche has not yet been found.
Areche is believed to have been the captain of the boat that capsized off the coast of St Kitts and Nevis on March 28, while trying to smuggle 30 Cameroonians into St Thomas.
Fourteen people perished on that illegal journey and the survivors were under the care of the St Kitts and Nevis government.
Plans were being made to have them repatriated to Antigua and Barbuda but the Gaston Browne government has since rescinded, saying clearly that they don’t want the Africans to return to the twin island state.
“Based on what happened there, which we never anticipated, was one of the unintended consequences. We recognize now that we cannot run the risk of having them opportunistically jump onto a plane and come to Antigua and Barbuda. That, unfortunately, is where good intentions were exploited by these individuals,” Browne said.
“How do you feel about us taking them back? We want to treat them humanely. Our challenge is that they have claimed that sending them back to Cameroon would likely result in their death, but I am thinking, for those who have already left our shores, the question is, why…bring them back when they are likely to smuggle out of the country again?”
The Antiguan and Barbudan government is tightening entry requirements for West Africans with Prime Minister Gaston Browne saying that only those with visas to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or the European Union can enter Antigua and Barbuda.
Where have I seen this before? Oh yes, the same Brown Paper Bag who was busy promoting the new connections between Antigua and West Africa just a few months ago. He even went on to announce his airline with service between Antigua and the West African Coast. When things got out of hand, crooked Gaston is now singing a different tune. The man learned from Roosevelt’s playbook. Play on player. Now you want only those Africans with valid visas to developed countries to visit your shores. This was a stoke of genius for low-information voters. Gaston and Roosevelt’s are two tricksters who are playing different games from the same play book. Neither one of them has fooled anyone thus far, but they honestly believe that they have. “By their fruits you shall know them.”
Deception and political expediency by those who hold the wheel of power will always lead to chaos, disaffection and misrule.
Leading up to the most recent general election in Antigua and Barbuda, to gain political mileage, the then government promised the electorate an air bridge between Africa and Antigua and Barbuda. This was rushed as the election was nigh.
Antigua & Babuda is now not only suffering from reputational damage, it is being referred to as a migrant trafficking country, but causing economic and security problems for many of the neighbouring islands. Where wisdom is lacking everything else is lacking.
Like I said the start, send them back to Africa. If they die, they die. They’re not Antigua & Barbuda or St. Kitts & Nevis or any other countries responsibility but their own. Why deal with their nonsense when you literally don’t have to. Never let ANYONE guilt trip you into helping them.
Ya, you always write crap like that, if Dominicans die they die; and I’m quite sure you throw your support behind the missionary that tried to sneak in a trailer of guns and amo into dominica – to feed their flock
“The Antiguan and Barbudan government is tightening entry requirements for West Africans with Prime Minister Gaston Browne saying that only those with visas to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or the European Union can enter Antigua and Barbuda.” (Gaston Brown).
Simple question is Antigua a Hub for people traveling to the countries that the crook Gaston named?
So, here it is: the distance between Cameroon and England is 3,428.74 miles, or 2,977.52 Nautical Miles.
In a straight line the distance between Douala in the Cameroon and Antigua is: 4,923 miles.
The distance between Antigua and London is 4,048 miles: what sense would it make for these people to fly to Antigua, to transit to the UK, Canada, and the US? The crooked African airline Gaston is involved into, conned these people promising them jobs in Antigua to get them to fly there for Gaston to profits. They get there only to find there are no jobs, and so they decided to leave Antigua by any means!
Isn’t that the same Gaston Browne who made a b8g do about the flights and a new air corridor between West Africa and Antigua?
These people knew all along what they wanted and living in Antigua was never on their agenda. They played Gaston Browne for a foil so he is determined he will not be played a second time. Frankly I don’t blame him.
Not that I don’t trust Africans, but I certainly do not trust that group.
The St. Kitts government should deport them to the land of their birth. That thing about they fear for their lives if they return is all garbage. They all say that and once they get their papers, their first trip overseas is back to their home country.
Well said Zandoli
Duh ..What was that zandoli, brain fat?
Correction: not brain fat, more like Fart