The Government of Antigua and Barbuda continues to seek a retraction from US cable network NewsNation following a controversial report that alleged Chinese migrants were being smuggled through the Caribbean nation into the United States.
The disputed report, which aired on 29 January 2025, by Senior National Correspondent Brian Entin, claimed that Chinese nationals were “buying up thousands of acres of land” and participating in human smuggling activities in both The Bahamas and Antigua.
Sir Ronald Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States of America and the Organization of American States (OAS), promptly challenged these allegations, demanding a retraction of the story, which was also shared on NewsNation’s Facebook page.
According to Lionel Hurst, Chief of Staff in the Office of the Prime Minister, the network has yet to comply with this request.
“We can categorically state that Chinese nationals are not buying thousands of acres of land in Antigua,” Hurst declared. “Whilst we cannot speak for The Bahamas, we can firmly assert that there is no smuggling of Chinese nationals into the United States from Antigua and Barbuda.”
Ambassador Sanders emphasised that the NewsNation report presented no supporting evidence and has unfairly damaged the country’s reputation as a premier tourism destination.
Hurst explained that the logistics of travel from China to Antigua make such smuggling operations impractical.
“The typical route for Chinese travellers involves flying to a European capital, usually the Netherlands, then to Saint Martin, and finally to Antigua. The suggestion that our nation serves as a smuggling hub is completely unfounded,” he stated.
Hurst also pointed to Antigua and Barbuda’s ongoing cooperation with US law enforcement agencies, regional governments through the OAS and United Nations agencies in combating human trafficking and smuggling.
If NewsNation fails to retract the story, the government is considering legal action due to the reputational damage caused by the report.
Hurst referenced a previous incident involving the BBC, which demonstrates the government’s willingness to pursue legal remedies against media outlets making unsubstantiated claims about the nation.
