Quinn-Williams says nothing short of a public inquiry into Antigua Airways will give answers to the plight of the West Africans, UPP to stage picket on Tuesday

Pearl Quinn-Williams, the United Progressive Party (UPP) candidate for St John’s Rural North in the recent general elections, is calling for a public inquiry into the saga of Antigua Airways and how hundreds of West Africans were left stranded in Antigua and Barbuda.

Last week following its weekly Wednesday sitting (February 1) the Cabinet made a decision to regularize the status of those travellers who do not wish to return home. 

Some of them, especially those from Cameron, have already indicated that they do not wish to return home for fear of being killed or imprisoned due to the civil war in their homeland.

Quinn-Williams says that the UPP and the people of this country will not allow this issue to be swept under the carpet.  

She is calling on the Gaston Browne administration to pull back on the decision to regularize the immigration status of the West Africans until an investigation or inquiry is held.

She says, in her opinion, what is being suggested by the Cabinet is not legal, based on the circumstances surrounding the matter.

The UPP is mounting a picket of the Prime Minister’s office on Queen Elizabeth Highway on Tuesday (February 7) at 9:30 in protest of the alleged human trafficking saga and calling for a public inquiry into the matter.

Quinn-Williams is inviting people to come out in support of the event and to walk along with their placards.

Further, on Thursday (February 9), Quinn-Williams says that the Party will host a public rally to highlight the migrant trafficking scandal among others, which the people are still faced with fresh off of the General Elections.

The event, being dubbed “The People’s Parliament”, will be begin at 7:30pm.

She is encouraging persons to come out in their numbers to both events in order to send a clear and distinct message to the Browne Cabinet that it will not be allowed to get away with any unscrupulous act as it relates to this scandal. 

Meanwhile, Quinn-Williams is contemplating circulating a petition in order to send to Governor General Sir Rodney Williams demanding that a public inquiry is launched into this scandal.

She says that the petition can also be used to send to various international bodies to bring attention to the issue.