St Kitts and Nevis PM Drew denies reports of US travel ban, says no formal notice received

St Kitts and Nevis: Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew has reassured the citizens that the government of St Kitts and Nevis has not received any official notice from the United States of America regarding reports of an impending travel restriction or ban on citizens of the twin island Federation.

In a move to calm the public’s worry, Prime Minister Drew addressed the issue during an interview on “The Edge” at ZIZ Radio. He stated that no official communication has been received from the U.S. government, despite the widespread circulation of such reports.

“This administration has received no official notice of any travel ban or restriction on our citizens. From the moment we saw the reports, we moved immediately through all appropriate diplomatic channels. I put out communication to inform our people that we had not been formally informed about such a list, and therefore, as we get information, we would inform our people and keep them updated,” reported PM Drew.

The Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis also explained the steps taken by his government in an attempt to get clarification from the US Government. 

“Immediately, Foreign Affairs got activated. I got in touch with the Embassy of the United States of America in Barbados to get clarification. At that time, the embassy indicated that they had not received any formal communication about this so-called list. In addition to that, our Ambassador to the United States and OAS, Her Excellency Jacinth Henry-Martin. She and I spoke on the matter, and a meeting was held with the State Department to seek clarification as to what this is about,” reported PM Drew.

According to PM Drew, the U.S. State Department is still waiting for the report from the Embassy in Barbados regarding the matter and stated that no formal response has been passed on to the Government of St Kitts and Nevis as of now. “Has it been circulating? Yes. Has it been concerning? Yes. But we have been working the diplomatic channels from day one to deal with this matter, and to deal with it even proactively,” he said.

Moreover, the Prime Minister also reported that the U.S. has had a very strong relationship with St Kitts and Nevis for a very long time. We have what you may call a very positive and enduring relationship. “We have an excellent relationship with the United States of America, a relationship that spans decades… Many of our citizens would have had tremendous positive impact on the development of the United States of America,” shared PM Drew.

At the end, he also said that his Administration is fully committed to the policy of transparency and keeping the public in the loop. Also, at present, no official change has been seen regarding the travel between St Kitts and Nevis and the U.S. “Our people can travel to the United States. They can apply for a visa to the United States of America. Everything remains totally normal.”