The United Progressive Party (UPP) says residents are reacting positively to its petition calling for an inquiry into Antigua Airways and subsequent charter flights that left hundreds of West African people stranded in Antigua.
Physical copies of the document have been in circulation across various constituencies since last Wednesday, and the petition was yesterday placed online too.
Residents are being asked to sign the petition which calls on Governor General Sir Rodney Williams to commission an inquiry and a report on the issue. The aim is to reach 10,000 signatures.
“People are concerned, not on a partisan level, but concerned as citizens of Antigua and Barbuda. They want to find out what happened, what went wrong, who duped the government, and in that vein, the petition is being circulated,” D Gisele Isaac, UPP Chairman, said.
Isaac explained that the UPP met with Sir Rodney recently, putting their concerns before him and calling for a probe.
“He is expected to get back to us, but in the meantime we are gathering this petition so that we can have some tangible proof that this is not just a UPP concern.
“This is thousands of Antiguans and Barbudans who want to know what has happened, because the name of Antigua and Barbuda is out there in a negative way,” she said.
Antigua and Barbuda has been at the centre of controversy in recent months, after hundreds of Africans who arrived here on chartered flights were left stranded in the country.
The government has said that it is looking into ways to allow these West Africans, most of them from Cameroon escaping conflict, to stay here legally.
The petition claims the scandal could cause irreparable damage to the country’s standing in the region, its reputation in the international community, and its tourism industry.
Isaac added that the petition is calling for an investigation into the matter and not the removal of the African visitors.
“The petition is not asking for any Africans to be sent home as has been put out there by certain elements who clearly are afraid of what the inquiry will reveal…,” Isaac said.
The petition can be viewed at https://www.change.org/p/call-for-a-full-public-inquiry-into-the-antigua-airways-human-trafficking-scandal