Barbuda MP Trevor Walker Demands Full Disclosure Before Deportee Debate: "I Cannot Support a Government That Only Releases Information When Its Back Is Against the Wall"

Barbuda MP Trevor Walker has added his voice to growing opposition demands for transparency over the government's handling of the third-country deportee negotiations with the United States — telling the government directly that he will not support any arrangement built on drip-fed information and forced disclosures.

"Snippets" Released Under Pressure

MP Walker, who is also leader of the Barbuda People's Movement, told Observer AM that while he has not yet studied the matter in full detail, the government's handling of the issue has left him deeply uneasy.

"I just think that our government needs to be more transparent. I think that they're not transparent with this whole thing," MP Walker said. "The prime minister now sees his back against the wall and is now coming with snippets of information that we should have gotten a long time ago."

The characterisation of the government's disclosures as "snippets" released under duress captures a sentiment that has been building across the political spectrum for weeks. The Memorandum of Understanding with the United States was signed on December 19, 2025, without public disclosure. The existence of the agreement was only confirmed months later, after the Prime Minister chose to discuss it on his radio station and at the OECS Authority summit. The White Paper subsequently tabled before Parliament omits the MOU itself, the US draft operating procedures, and the government's counterproposals — all documents that parliamentarians would need to conduct a meaningful debate on this issue of national importance affecting public safety, national security, public health, housing, the labour force and many other sectors.

The Questions MP Walker Wants Answered

MP Walker was specific about the information he expects to see before any parliamentary debate takes place. He wants to know why the Prime Minister initially proposed accepting ten individuals, what the full terms of the US proposal actually contain, and what the government's position genuinely is — based on documents, not statements.

"We need to get all the information as to, for example, why he decided he wanted 10 persons in the first place, in the first instance when this thing came up, and to say to us exactly what the situation is in terms of proposal from the United States," MP Walker said.

A Line Drawn on Trust

The Barbuda MP drew a clear line on where his support stands. "I just cannot support a government that just feels like it needs to release information to the public when its back is against the wall," he said.

The statement carries particular weight coming from MP Walker, who occupies a constitutionally unique position as the sole representative of Barbuda in the House of Representatives. His vote in any parliamentary division is independent of both the governing ABLP and the opposition UPP — making his stated position on the deportee White Paper a significant factor in how the upcoming debate unfolds.

Hoping Parliament Gets What It Needs

MP Walker said he understands the government is proposing to place the White Paper before Parliament for debate during the week of July 13 in a special sitting. He expressed hope — but not confidence — that the session will be accompanied by the full documentation the matter demands.

"My understanding is that they are proposing that the matter be placed before the Parliament. I hope by that time that sufficient information, all information will be given so that a proper debate can be had in the house," he said.

MP Walker's intervention comes as the Opposition Leader, MP Jamale Pringle, continues to challenge the government's approach, describing the arrangement as a "done deal" being brought to Parliament for rubber-stamping rather than genuine deliberation. MP Pringle has confirmed that his office received no formal communication from the Prime Minister's Office about the deportee negotiations and that he learned of developments through social media.

With both the sole opposition MP and the independent Barbuda MP now publicly demanding the full documentation before the debate, the pressure on the government to release the MOU and its accompanying operating procedures before the week of July 13 is intensifying. Whether the Prime Minister will comply — or whether Parliament will be asked once again to debate in the dark — remains the defining question ahead of what is shaping up to be one of the most consequential parliamentary sittings in recent memory.