The Antigua and Barbuda government will be taking steps to tighten the country's security and safety mechanisms, including replacing its Immigration and Passport Act with more effective legislation.

That news was delivered by Governor General Dame Louis Lake-Tack in her Throne Speech, boycotted by the opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP), at a joint sitting of parliament on Monday - the first since the March 12th general election.

'The fragmented Immigration and Passport Act will be repealed and replaced to provide for a stronger and more effective border-control regime,' she said.