Today, Antigua and Barbuda’s senior immigration officer stated that at least 450 West Africans transported to the twin island nation last year on chartered planes remain.
The government previously reported that 637 of the over 900 people who arrived between November and January remained in Antigua.
Many are Cameroonians fleeing war.
Chief Immigration Officer Katrina Yearwood could not confirm if the migrants who left after the statistic was released went through “regular means,” but she observed that around 200 of the overall group who arrived as tourists left legitimately.
Suriname, Dominica, and Barbados have seen chartered aircraft migrants.
Yearwood said an Immigration Department staff is tracking West Africans in Antigua and Barbuda and knows where they live. She said the “situation remains fluid”.
Yearwood said the Immigration Department will meet with IOM and UNHCR representatives tomorrow.
The administration requested the IOM and UNHCR to meet with West Africans to assess their needs and determine how many would appreciate a charter trip home.
