Dear Mr. Greene
I certainly share and endorse your sentiments, that the Caribbean region needs to collaborate and speak with one voice and also trade with each other, more now, than ever.
I will also agree that it is extremely important for us, here in Antigua and Barbuda to embrace our Caribbean brothers & sisters and similarily, the region embrace us.
Not only will the embracement make the region more self reliant and progressive but it will also make us, as a united economic block, more competitive and definitely a force to reckon with among our international counterparts on the global market. It is for one such reason that Caricom should never be overlooked.
Be that as it is, in this twin island state of 268, our citizens should not feel maligned neither be treated as second class citizens, in our own country. Charity always begins at home.
Many of these non-nationals come here on a mission. Their hearts, passion and love tends to be back at their home from wherever they come from. Therefore, the average foreign person do not come here to be that good Samaritan of primarily considering to develop our country.
Instead, it is my view that they are here to raid the country of what they can legally get. It is the laws that really forces them to contribute to the development of the state. They are only here because the economic grass is much greener to graze on, rather than being back home where they will prefer to be.
As a result, they make here as gateway to the bigger cities or as a safe haven to reside and in the mean time send monies back to their homeland to support their families and invest in properties etc. Of course, if I was in their shoe, I would do the same. However, while it is important to welcome them here, it is equally important that our locals should not be pushed aside to allow such to happen.
Presently, the country has high percentage of young graduants who are unemployed. On the flip side, many of our establishments have a high employment rate of non-nationals. Again, it is my view that the hospital seems to be one such place. Our schools & govt establishments are another.
I think a policy needs to be put in place to protect our citizens. Locals should be given first preference to enjoy the green pastures here. The non-nationals on the otherhand, should be contracted for a year or two, and then recontracted if the vacant position was advertised and not being filled by any local.
Antigua should primarily be for Antiguans. Remember charity always begins at home!
Alex
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I find it ironic that you wrote this article for the main fact that there have been plenty of foreigners that want to truly make a change and help the locals in Antigua and Barbuda and are blocked by your government. If you are not on the path to give them their cut with the brown paper bag at the corner store on a continuous basis they do everything in their power to make sure your development fails and many just leave and go back home because it is too much corruption to deal with. Charity would begin at home if the leaders cared about the people more than their pockets!!
Antiguans need to step up their game and stop being lazy and don’t want work…non nationals are the ones doing most work because all Antiguans want is to bad mind and live of non nationals and rob them of their hard working money and valuable assets… # poor class!!! Country needs more independent and hard working citizens…# antiguans has the most lazy citizens in the caribbean…so please be grateful and happy for non nationals, Thank you!
Dear Alex.
This is not Minister Greene. This is a CARICOM National who lives in his green grass island paradise and believes in the embrace of our region.
The CARICOM Single Market and Economy and the free movement of people it engenders for equal opportunities for work, travel, trade, cultural expressions and investment for all CARICOM nationals. Free Movement allows for movement into and out of Antigua and Barbuda 🇦🇬 and all member states in the region to be as seemless as moving from Paires to Old Road to Coddington to Liberta. It’s one Community.
It is sad that we acknowledge the need to be more united as a region but we readily exclude everyone else from enjoying equal access to rights in our home country. Alex, I’m happy to say to you that Barbados 🇧🇧 , Saint Lucia 🇱🇨 Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹 Jamaica 🇯🇲 and all of CARICOM are equally opened and available to you and me and all Antiguans and Barbudans as they are opened to their own citizens and to all other CARICOM nationals.
The problem we face is not seen when we focus narrowly on the limited opportunities that are available in Antigua and Barbuda. The problem we need to solve is our blatant refusal to appreciate and take advantage of rich untapped opportunities that abound in the green, competitive and profitable Caribbean Community. We need to stop defining our Caribbean civilisation as a patchwork of struggling autonomous sovereign states but as a strategically focused interdependent market that is united by history, geography, culture and economic and social purpose.
Let us as Caribbean thinkers stop believing that our individual home states are better off than any other CARICOM state. There is no potential El Dorado in any member-state that is not possible in another. We each have our unique and shared challenges. It by woriking together and opening opportunities for each other that we can make a lasting positive difference for all our people.
Minister Greene was correct yet his message lacked the appeal for Antiguans and Barbudans to rally around the cause of full-spectrum regionalism which is greater than treating our neighbour as ourselves in the twinisland state called Antigua and Barbuda. The clarion call needs to be sounded that all of CARICOM is open for access to all our people.
I agree with the final message but the opinion that get there rubs me the wrong way. It comes from xenophobic way of thinking. Nationals feeling second class to who they perceive has foreigners grow if they feel othered; saying they are here to raid the country legally and laws is what stops them, is bluntly… mental you ignore the process of why they choose here, why they stayed and why they bring their family here to start a new life.
I believe in nationalism but not the kind that others people that aren’t born here. Antiugans should be provided more opportunities but to fix the unemployed and people being over qualified for their positions, there is a reason why people leave for bigger countries but without displacing foreigners. I see the Caribbean as one nation separated by the sea.
My final comment you should consider what kind situation you’re in to leave your home, to seek better life somewhere else where you will experience discrimination
Honestly speaking if Antiguans and Barbudans don’t to make themselves qualify for the they needed,they are going to be left behind, because no Private investor would want to just employ people who don’t know how to do their work well….
We need to stop blaming non nationals for taking up,and taking away jobs…
The very very first Act passed in parliament by the UPP when they came into office was the Millennium Naturalization Act.
People who had been in Antigua for four years were granted citizenship.
They didn’t have to wait for the customary and legal seven years.
Everytime that an elections approaches the ALP uses the nationality card and paints a picture the UPP doesn’t love foreigners.
That’s very far from the truth.
They work on the insecurities of the non nationals which they have caused.
Lest we forget it is the ALP regime that raised police records from $10.00 to $25.00.
That’s a raise of 250 percent.
It is the ALP that had doubled the cost of work permits.
Who needs work permits?
Non nationals.
Who has raised the cost of police reports from $25.00 to $200.00?
Thats a raise of 800 percent.
The ALP.
So those non nationals who have lost their passports have to pay that much to get a report to send home to acquire a new one.
Who needs extension of stay here?
Certainly not nationals nor OECS nationals.
It is Jamaicans and Guyanese, Haitians, Dominican Republic Nationals and other non nationals.
Previously a three months extension was $75.00.
Today that time extension is $300.00.
So if you want the non nationals to be treated fairly, send a memo to the ALP.
They are the ones who use non nationals like toilet paper and discard them immediately after.
Stop it.
Get rid of them.
God save me from bird people! Sir George must be turning in his grave.
Traditional wisdom says, “United we stand. Divided we fall.” The Bible itself says, “A house divided against itself shall not stand.” One problem in Antigua and Barbuda is a lack of a common vision for the country. Some people see it as an island paradise and would develop it that way. Others want it to be modern and rich, styled after cities like New York and L.A.. Others want a return to African roots. Others -expats- see it as a beach lifestyle country and focus on developing the outskirts with no thought given to the lives of those living in the interior. Some see it as a poverty-stricken place to escape with no need to develop it, just exploit what they can and leave . Others from worse places see it as rich and want to be here and fight for jobs and material items and don’t care how they change the culture and livability by bringing in bad ways. Some view it as a tourism cash cow and develop everything with tourism in mind with little effort to help make it livable for citizens. How then can we all unite? It would have to be by intentional action not just talking about it. By focusing on what we have in common – our need for water, food, clothing, shelter, education, entertainment, transportation, healthcare, religion while we’re here and working together in peace to optimise those. Also by deliberately creating cultural moments unique to the island that everyone can participate in. Not sure it will ever happen though – unity
Lawd! Look how dem ah mash people corn!
Look, we Antiguans are very accepting, sometimes to a fault. If you ask me personally, I dont see our Dominicans nor Bajans nor Guyanese as different. We should easily see them as our cousins because we are a melting pot now. It is harder to mix with the Chinese because they alienate themselves from us still (I use this as an example). If a Jamaican says they feel alienated, its because they want to be, because I also see them as cousins.
In the end it’s all about how you yourself try to integrate with those around. It’s that simple!
My fellow Antiguans, stop fraid book. Study hard because it’s not your Caribbean cousins that you have to fear. Keep abreast with International news and pay attention.
Fuck off Alex you whiny little shit.🖕🏿You sound like a hardcore Trump supporter crying about immigrants in the US or a British racist when the first Antiguans/West Indian people arrived in the UK in 1950’s & 60’s. Do you realize how fucking stupid you sound?
More Dominicanos🇩🇴, more Jamaicans🇯🇲 and more Guyanese🇬🇾 will be moving here and there is nothing you can do about it. More Americans🇺🇸, more Canadians🇨🇦 and more Brits🇬🇧 will be coming here to work too. You have a problem with that then tough shit. Cry yourself to sleep every night.
Non national couldn’t go to virgin islands and just get lands like it happens in Antigua, neither white people descend on any virgin island sister island like how white people are forced upon the white sand beach in barbuda like what ALP and Gaston is doing here right now for votes and money with PLH.
Honestly get the impression that what you really want is for Antiguans (yourself)to be worshipped. Seems you have the ability to read non national minds and know their true intentions. Guy fact is I know of too many Antiguna’s who don’t treat our nation as home. Like non nagtionals they see it as a place they are visitin on their way to places like the US Earl Lovelace wrote of a similar situation in Trinidad. These Antiguans (not all) will tell you its best to travel to places like the US and give birth.
Hmmm, I respect this writer… I didn’t see him or her attack any migrant, I didn’t see him or her say anything that is wrong!! We all have a family member that has migrated to the US, Canada, or UK looking to better themselves…. So yes Antiguans and Barbudans are out there doing there thing!!
What the writer is trying to say ad this is my interpretation, we are being marginalized by our government and yes while it is sad we are the ones who have allowed it to be done…. I’ve sat and seen many men and women who have gone to the authorities with paperwork to get assistance to run small businesses and they have been turned down…. Only to then see an immigrant doing the same thing in the same place that they wanted or applied for!!! So let’s be realistic, the writer isn’t directing frustration at the immigrants but at the government who has failed to put anything in place so the Nationals of our country can access the so-called programs!!! For instance, the government has a program that is supposed to assist small businesses and to be fair how many Antiguans and Barbudans have benefited from it? Now ask, how many non nationals have benefited?? You can’t expect someone who has been told to return home and help to build their country to just sit back and accept that….
So while it may seem like we are crying over spilt milk respect his/her opinion and accept that the person do have a point!!!
What and who has caricom really helped?? The smaller countries that produces nothing, are the losers…. We are the minority and yes while we have people who just want to sit on the street corner from sun up to sun down… That’s not who we are, there are jobs in every country that the citizens would not do… Just like there are countries that Antiguans and Barbudans would never migrate too…. We have to import labour but that comes with its own headaches and issues as well… If I had my way I would scrap or block our membership to caricom and see what’s best for our island…. We produce a rum yet we can never find it in ANY OTHER CARICOM country!!! We produce a hot SAUCE Yet it isn’t in any other caricom country and it’s not for the lack of trying…. There’s so. Much wrong with the free movement of people that trying to fix it will take a lifetime… My problem isn’t non nationals, my problem is a government that has its head up its arse not just yesterday but from since the I was born!!!