By Robert A. Emmanuel
Information Minister Melford Nicholas was steadfast in his assertion yesterday that the government bears no responsibility for Tuesday’s boat tragedy believed to have claimed the lives of 16 people – comments that have been condemned by the Opposition.
Three men have been confirmed dead and another 13 people are missing after a fishing vessel transporting Cameroonian migrants from Antigua to St Thomas capsized near St Kitts.
Minister Nicholas chaired a press conference on Thursday attended by top government officials seeking to answer questions from the media relating to the incident and the ultimate originator of this event—the arrival of hundreds of African migrants aboard chartered flights from Nigeria last November and December.
Nicholas said the government had attempted to help them and had “made no hostile overtures” towards them.
“The fact that they, of their own volition, seemingly would have decided to embark on this initiative, the government can take no responsibility,” he said.
According to initial investigations, the migrants were aboard a Guadeloupe-registered vessel, La Belle Michelle, which arrived in Antigua from the French overseas territory on March 25.
Chief Immigration Officer Katrina Yearwood revealed that most of the migrants aboard the vessel were men, along with three females.
Fallout from the Antigua Airways venture – which sought to establish direct links with Africa – continues to plague the government as questions linger over its response to the influx of Africans whom the government continues to claim entered the country as “tourists”.
In the latest Cabinet notes, the government seemingly sought to suggest that the migrants undertook this risky move due to the “hostility” meted out to them by “angry people”.
Minister Nicolas said that while most persons have been “hospitable” to the migrants, there have been some “bad actors”.
“They have also told the tale in the background, and … it is critical for us to understand the conditions that may have led them to take a risk-filled decision to other lands and they have told a story of … areas where they have been exploited … in so far as rent and other measures are concerned, notwithstanding the government’s decision to provide them with a legal means of staying here, that all may not been well with them,” he said.
The Cabinet notes also suggested blame on those who accused the Africans of being illicit voters, a notion which has been debunked by several authorities including the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission.
“During the period of campaigning, leading up to the January 2023 general elections, the migrants learned that they had been wrongly accused of being impostor voters, and other objectionable accusations had been hurled at them,” the Cabinet notes said.
Yesterday afternoon, the United Progressive Party (UPP) released a statement condemning the ruling administration for seeking to wash its hands of the matter.
The UPP noted the government previously admitted that it had been “duped” into allowing three flights — originally believed to be Antigua Airways flights — to land, however, it was later revealed they were from a different charter company.
The statement admonished the administration for seeking to “distance itself” from what has happened to these migrants who have repeatedly claimed that Antigua was not their final destination, but got stranded here because of the government’s blunder.
Meanwhile, media sources in St Kitts and Nevis revealed that the bodies of the deceased migrants are being held at Saddler Funeral Home.
St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew told journalists that he has yet to personally communicate with Prime Minister Gaston Browne, but indicated that relevant agencies between the two islands have been in constant communication.
Prime Minister Drew also indicated that the final decision as it relates to the next steps for the 16 persons who were rescued — including the two Antiguans — will need to be negotiated.
He also noted that a doctor and a psychologist have been asked to help the survivors.
Commissioner of Police Atlee Rodney, Chief of Defence Staff of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force Colonel Telbert Benjamin, Director of the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP) Lieutenant Colonel Edward Croft, Chief Immigration Officer Katrina Yearwood, and Comptroller of Customs Raju Boddu also attended the press conference.
Meanwhile, criminal investigations and recovery efforts remain ongoing.
The smuggled migrants were found 12 nautical miles south of St Kitts (40 nautical miles from Antigua) by a passing luxury vessel.
According to reports, several were found clinging to La Belle Michelle which was described by Colonel Benjamin as a “weathered, fibreglass fishing vessel”.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne, in a statement on Tuesday, expressed “deep sorrow” at the loss of life and distress suffered by persons aboard the vessel.
However, both Browne and Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin, who serves as Minister for Immigration, were noticeably absent from the press conference to answer reporters’ questions.
The government previously pledged to launch “a full investigation into the circumstances of this unlawful and dreadful affair, including the involvement of any citizens and residents”.
Last week, the government announced that it had reached out to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) for assistance with the African migrants.