Cabinet has confirmed that an immigration amnesty programme will commence on April 2 and run for three months, with parliament scheduled to debate an immigration bill on March 23 ahead of the rollout.
Cabinet discussed the matter as presented by the Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin, with Director General for Communications in the Prime Minister’s Office, Maurice Merchant, confirming the key details of the programme at the post-cabinet briefing Thursday.
The amnesty will be open to undocumented individuals who have been residing in Antigua and Barbuda for four or more years, a threshold the government determined was appropriate.
Applicants will be required to submit a police record from their country of origin dating back two years, along with a processing fee of $250.
Merchant said the fee represents a reduction from the $500 originally proposed in the bill. “The chief immigration officer will be the individual to sign off on the amnesty,” he said.
Parliament will convene on March 23 to examine the recommendations outlined in the immigration bill, with further amendments and debate expected during that sitting.
Merchant said additional details on the programme would follow during the parliamentary session.
