Gaston Browne promises full investigation after boat tragedy
/ Our Today
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Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, says a full investigation will be launched into the circumstances of the illegal transportation of Africans which left three persons dead and others in distress after a boat overturned off the shores of St Kitts yesterday (March 28) morning.
Browne advised in a media statement that while reports are still sketchy, “we understand that the majority of persons on board a vessel the vessel may be Africans who were part of those who arrived here as tourists but with the intention of migrating to other countries.”
The prime minister said that while the facts are not yet clear about Tuesday’s incident, it is evident that the Africans wanted to leave Antigua and Barbuda for another country and the owners and operators of the vessel facilitated their transport on an illegal journey.
“We will also uphold our international obligations against human trafficking and illegal migration by strengthening our domestic institutions and enhancing our cooperation with regional and hemispheric partners,” he added.
Antigua and Barbuda government portal indicated that the boat capsized 19 kilometres south of St Kitts’ Conaree Village, leaving Antigua some 65 miles (105 km) to the east with 32 passengers aboard.
The Government of Antigua urged Africans in the twin-island country not to be tempted into any illegal migration but to work with authorities through immigration to find acceptable solutions to their circumstances.
The Cameroonians have been living in Antigua and Barbuda for the past few months after arriving on a chartered flight. According to reports, the Central African natives were heading to the United States in seek of a better life due to an uptick in violence in the country.
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