The opposition United Progressive Party is inviting the public to a town hall meeting on the government's third-country deportees deal, scheduled for Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at Freedom Hall on Newgate Street — the first formal public forum organised on the controversial arrangement since it became a matter of national debate.
The gathering has been called under the theme "The Third-Country Deportees Deal" and forms part of the UPP's broader consultation process ahead of the parliamentary debate on the government's White Paper, expected during the week of July 13.
"Come, Let Us Reason Together"
The UPP's invitation to the public is framed in language consistent with the party's stated commitment to representative democracy — inviting all concerned citizens to discuss the matter of national concern and closing with the phrase, "Come, let us reason together." The tone is one of open engagement rather than partisan rally, and the flyer signals that the meeting is intended for citizens to speak as much as to listen.
Grounded in Representative Democracy
UPP Leader and Member of Parliament for All Saints East and St. Luke, Jamale Pringle, has explained the rationale for holding public consultations before the parliamentary debate in principled terms. "We operate within a representative democracy, and representatives should reflect the wishes of the people who elected them," he said, adding that Members of Parliament should not make decisions on matters of this magnitude without first consulting their constituents.
The Thursday town hall gives that principle practical form. It creates a space in which ordinary Antiguans and Barbudans — including those who have no direct link to any political party — can weigh in on a policy question that the government has, so far, kept largely to itself.
A Question the Public Has Not Been Formally Asked
