St. John's, Antigua -- May 7, 2007--  Minister of Public Safety Senator the Hon. Colin Derrick is heading an Antigua and Barbuda delegation to New York to conduct meetings with officials of the United States Department of Homeland Security.

The Antigua and Barbuda delegation to the round-table discussions which is organized in part by the Antigua and Barbuda Consulate in New York, includes Social Transformation Minister the Hon. Hilson Baptiste, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Colin Murdoch, Commissioner of Police Delano Christopher and Acting Chief Immigration Officer Mr. Don McKinnon.

Minister Derrick said that the issue of the return of criminal deportees from the US to Antigua and Barbuda and other countries in CARICOM member states has been high on the agenda in relations between both sides since the inception of the deportee process. He said that it has been raised at the highest level, and was raised most recently when CARICOM Foreign Ministers met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in April 2006. At the Conference on the Caribbean to be held during 19-21 June 2007 in Washington DC, it will be raised again, possibly during a meeting between CARICOM Heads of Government and US President George W. Bush.

Antigua and Barbuda argues that returning deportees have had a strong impact on the crime rates in member states. The Caribbean's increasing crime rate has been attributed to returning criminal deportees, both in relation
to the increasing rate in crime and to the types of violent offences that have become prevalent.

Minister Derrick noted that with this in mind, the roundtable will not only garner the views of the Antiguan and Barbudan participants but also hear the views of the Homeland Security officials in an effort to assist the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in developing any subsequent policies on the issue of deportation.

"We are hoping that this roundtable will create an avenue for further discussions with the US Department of Homeland Security which will lead to the earlier provision of information to the authorities in Antigua and Barbuda by US authorities on persons who are being deported to Antigua and through Antigua to other countries in the region. Getting detailed criminal records on deportees is very vital towards addressing the concerns we have," Minister Derrick stated.

"We will also be recommending to the United States that given the situation within CARICOM regarding CSME and its attendant travel rights, US law enforcement authorities should share information on all CARICOM deportees including the Dominican Republic with law enforcement in Antigua and Barbuda. This will aid in establishing a Deportee Databank because the present situation lends to deportees moving from country to country without any knowledge of various authorities of their criminal records," he concluded.

The three-day roundtable is also being attended by the country's Ambassador in Washington Ms. Debra-Mae Lovell and Consul General in Miami Ian Sweeney.

Source: ab.gov.ag