– Advertisement –
By Robert Andre Emmanuel
[email protected]
Minister of Foreign Affairs EP Chet Greene has warned Antiguan and Barbudan students to be careful about their social media presence as the Trump administration has ordered embassies worldwide to cease scheduling new appointments for student visas.
In a wider crackdown in recent weeks, the US administration has sought to deny foreign students the opportunity to pursue studies in US universities it has labelled “left-wing” and expanded social media screening for all international student applicants.
During a radio appearance on WTP FM Tuesday night, Greene said that “this announcement — when twinned with the one that we published on the weekend about immigration matters — represents a very challenging position for us here in Antigua and Barbuda and certainly other countries across the region.”
A recent US State Department memo directed consular sections to pause adding “any additional student or exchange visitor visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued”.
With no timeline provided for when new interview slots may open, the directive could severely delay visa processing for Caribbean students who pursue degrees in the US each year.
The new policy expands current screening measures which have primarily targeted students who participated in pro-Palestinian campus protests.
Under the expanded screening process, consular officers will examine all student applicants’ posts, shares and comments across platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and TikTok for content deemed threatening to national security.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told senators last week that his department has revoked visas “probably in the thousands at this point”, up from more than 300 reported in March.
Minister Greene reiterated that social media conduct could now affect visa applications.
“I want all students, would-be students, young people interested in going to university in the United States to take note that social media is now something that can be used against you,” he said. “Your conduct and position on social media on issues can no longer be treated as a flippant space where you can talk as you like and say what you want.”
The Foreign Affairs Minister encouraged prospective students to consider local alternatives, particularly the University of the West Indies Five Islands campus, before international students fill available spots.
“Students of Antigua and Barbuda who were thinking of studying in North America, you may wish now to look westwards to Five Islands and get your application processed in time before we have an influx of other students from other countries coming in,” Minister Greene said.
Greene added that the government would have limited ability to influence US policy decisions.
“There’s nothing I can do as foreign minister, nothing Prime Minister Browne can do as Prime Minister, nothing the government can do, not even if the government and the opposition unite…those are policy positions of a sovereign government, the United States of America, and we simply need to abide,” he said.
“What we do not want is for students to run amok or run afoul in the case of the immigration matters. We don’t want them arrested and being deported or incarcerated,” Minister Greene added.
The visa freeze threatens to compound existing challenges facing higher US education institutions that are already experiencing declining international enrolment.
About The Author
– Advertisement –
