Source: Jamaica Gleaner Editorial- After last year’s manoeuvrings by its political parties to win the votes of CARICOM nationals living there, the decision by Antigua and Barbuda’s government to opt out of fully free movement of labour in the community is surprising.
Hopefully, this backsliding by St John’s is not a precursor to the unravelling of what is a central plank to CARICOM’s (Caribbean Community) transition to a genuine single market and economy and its most profound action in its more than half a century of existence, to which Jamaica recently reiterated its commitment. Faltering at this stage would only reinforce the perception of CARICOM as an organisation that does not implement its agreements and further undermine citizens’ confidence in the regional integration movement.
That would be unfortunate so soon after the euphoria over the community’s leadership in coaxing Haiti’s political and civil society groups to a consensus that might begin to draw the country out of its deep governance and security crisis. That, in part, is why a special meeting of CARICOM leaders on the free movement question, the implementation of which was originally promised for the end of March, will be closely watched.
CARICOM has been working towards its single market and economy (CSME) for three and half decades, since the Grand Anse Declaration of 1989 pledging the move in that direction. The CSME instruments were signed 18 years ago.
FITS AND STARTS
While capital can move with relative ease between those states that are part of the CSME (The Bahamas opted out), the movement of labour has developed in fits and starts.
The community now has a dozen categories of workers, including university graduates, who are allowed to live and work in member states without the need for work permits, once they receive “skills certificates” issued either by their home countries or other participating states.
While there were a comparatively large number of CARICOM nationals residing in Antigua and Barbuda, the eastern Caribbean state, like its neighbour, St Kitts and Nevis, had received a multi-year derogation from the limited free movement regime. However, on the eve of the January 2023 general election, the country’s two major political parties, Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party and the opposition scrambled to be ahead of each other in announcing a planned accession to the existing CARICOM arrangement, as well as how they regularise the status of Caribbean nationals who were in the country illegally.
So when at their summit last July CARICOM heads of government agreed to fully implement free movement this month – for which adjustments have to be made to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that established the community – it was assumed that Antigua and Barbuda was on board.
But St John’s now says that it will stick to the existing limited regime, rather than sign on to the full freedom of movement.
“We believe that the movement of skills is paramount, as opposed to the movement of all CARICOM nationals …,” said Antigua and Barbuda’s ambassador to CARICOM, Clarence Henry.
According to Dr Henry, acceding to the larger arrangement was likely to overwhelm Antigua and Barbuda’s social services, without support – presumably economic – from regional partners.
MASSIVE INFLOW
St John’s apparently presumes that the expanded regime would lead to a massive inflow of CARICOM citizens. While the specific immigration data is not immediately available, those fears appear not to have materialised with respect to the free movement regime between the seven-member Organisation of East Caribbean States, of which Antigua and Barbuda is a member. None of the seven has been sunk by citizens from one, or many, moving to live and work in the other.
Moreover, shifting emigration dynamics in the region would likely lessen the inflows feared by St John’s. In the past, a significant chunk of the immigration to Antigua and Barbuda by CARICOM nationals was from Guyana and Jamaica.
But Guyana’s recent oil-driven economic boom is slowing the outflow of that country’s citizens. At the same time, Guyana’s changing economic fortunes will likely make it draw to emigrants, while the psychology of free movement would probably encourage Antiguan and Barbudans skills that are not now easily employed at home to seek opportunities elsewhere in the region. Moreover, intra-regional movement labour benefits, rather than hinders economic growth.
In the absence of more, Antigua and Barbuda’s argument seems to be knee-jerk fear, rather than the result of rational analysis. Hopefully, Prime Minister Browne will review the policy.
Hopefully, Antigua and Barbuda’s posture, or that of any other member state of like mind, will, at worst, mean the activation of CARICOM’s dual-track approach to policy implementation, even if the adjustments to the treaty to allow for this is not yet formally ratified. Under that arrangement, member states can move ahead with a policy position if a third of them decided to do so, once the others do not object.
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NOBODY WANTS JAMAICANS IN THEIR COUNTRY TAP ARU YARD ….
Stay at you all big tinkin 10 world country….. NOBODY WANT YOU IN THEIR COUNTRY YOU HAB NO PRIDE OR SHAME
ALL YOU ALL ADD NO VALUE TO PPL COUNTRY AS TOU ALL COME PROSTITUTION & CRIME RAISES UP
TELL ME ONE GOOD THING A JAMAICANS DO IN PPL COUNTRY BUT WHORE DOWN THE PLACE WITH BLEECH OUT FACES LOOKING LIKE WHITE CRABLOUSE
Jamaicans…… what do you do in another island that’s POSITIVE and encourages other islands to completely give you all free movement ????
The hatred orther islands have for u all makes you all proud and give u all encouragement
JUS NAME ONE ☝️ only one
kmft an wat you all hate them for!?????? you sound f***on dumb Jamaican are hard working ppl unlike you all who cock up in parents house no want to work you sound so illiterate hating ppl who independent kmft if not for Dominica Antiguan no have iron in there body cause no banana would distribute or no other food unuh stop hate pppl who provide everything for them self you not independent
unuh thief nf
Jamaicans name always on their mines. Even if they didn’t have nothing before entering at least they come get legal documents not all but the majority of them does and build themselves better than back in their country and pay all the requirements needed from them to make some of the non working living with parent nationals can get benefit. So don’t think what they doing here is free if all Jamaicans caz it’s only them alone we have strength leave then all those in Jamaican living comfortably without been notice by the Jamaicans authorities start talking like us boy I tell u. It won’t be nice. So they should shut up and stop been ignorant racist and bias.
Please keep your #criminals that you produce and can’t control in Jamaica. Antigua and Barbuda don’t want nor need them.
The promises made by the Gaston Browne led ABLP, to garner votes in our general elections was just that.
As smart and as intelligent as Jamaicans are they must know that, a promise is a comfort to a fool.
As a matter of fact, Antigua and Barbuda MUST round up ALL non- Nationals and regularize their status, in our Nation and anyone with a criminal record, other than a misdemeanour, MUST be deported to their Nation of birth forthwith.
We don’t need nor want no more criminals.
Jumbee(Dupee)_Picknee aka Ras Smood
De’ole Dutty Peg🦶🏿Garrat_Bastard
Vere C. Edwards
Mr Ra’s smood an I hope you keep alyo bulla man them an rapist in Antigua who do not want to work but rob ppl of there hard earning cash an values lot a you all hitch up in parents house an have degree an dnt want to work so best yu shut u rass
@son of a Bitch…just so you know, my ass stays shut, unless I shitting or farting out of it.
To you, son of a Bitch, I could give a fuck what people do personally! Antigua or Jamaica have all that you’ve mentioned, and more.
The fact of the matter is, and I don’t give a blurnclath where they’re from, in any growing, and civilised society, managed by HUEmans, there has to be order,
So, let me ask you “son of a Bitch” from a pussyhole too, if I was to drop five hundred (500) #Gorillaz on Kingston, from Gully to Gaza, set them up to run the streets of Kingston, one blurnclath ting, de certain, #Gorillaz haffu de strap, cause, no Jamaican, a goh gee dem pussyhole free rein pan dem turf! So why should Antiguans take fuckery, pan dem ownah turf from everybody from white, pink European to sun burnt Arab and Asian now, Caribbean man and woman from places, that no kay bout we!
Again, it’s time to regularize all in the Nation, fuck where you’re from India, Russia or wherever. If you’re status in the Nation, of Antigua, Barbuda & REDONDA is not regularised, and once you’re caught, you MUST be deported.
The Chinese too should not be getting no FREE PASS or GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD by flocking to our Nation.
You can tell your god and the rest of the HUEman world, Vere C. Edwards, this son of a Bitch said what I said. You forward, #son of a Bitch!
Jumbee_Picknee aka Ras Smood
De’ole Dutty Peg🦶🏿Garrat Bastard!
Vere C. Edwards
@son of a Bitch…just so you know, my ass stays shut, unless I shitting or farting out of it.
To you, son of a Bitch, I could give a fuck what people do personally! Antigua or Jamaica have all that you’ve mentioned, and more.
The fact of the matter is, and I don’t give a blurnclath where they’re from, in any growing, and civilised society, managed by HUEmans, there has to be order,
So, let me ask you “son of a Bitch” from a pussyhole too, if I was to drop five hundred (500) #Gorillaz on Kingston, from Gully to Gaza, set them up to run the streets of Kingston, one blurnclath ting, de certain, #Gorillaz haffu de strap, cause, no Jamaican, a goh gee dem pussyhole free rein pan dem turf! So why should Antiguans take fuckery, pan dem ownah turf from everybody from white, pink European to sun burnt Arab and Asian now, Caribbean man and woman from places, that no kay bout we!
Again, it’s time to regularize all in the Nation, fuck where you’re from India, Russia or wherever. If you’re status in the Nation, of Antigua, Barbuda & REDONDA is not regularised, and once you’re caught, you MUST be deported.
The Chinese too should not be getting no FREE PASS or GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD by flocking to our Nation.
You can tell your god and the rest of the HUEman world, Vere C. Edwards, this son of a Bitch said what I said. You forward, #son of a Bitch!
Again, my # ass stays shut, unless shitting or farting. Which did you swallow first?
Unno tink, people fe hush when u chat! U bettah goh wash unno one blouse n skirt to rass, fe stay fresh. Dis yah annah wan idiat Antiguan!
Jumbee_Picknee aka Ras Smood
De’ole Dutty Peg🦶🏿Garrat Bastard!
Vere C. Edwards
In the first place people from the other Caribbean countries are not moving to Jamaica. It is the other way around. A lot of people moving to Antigua are from the lower class. Some are criminals and bring their criminal ways with them. You are the largest island in the English speaking Caribbean and instead of having your unemployed people moving to other islands to overwhelm them with your criminals, you should be providing opportunities for them at home. Antigua and Barbuda cannot afford the health care, and schooling for the influx of people. There is a shortage of housing and a lot of non nationals are over crowding the ghettos. And there is a surge of criminal activities.
There has always been free movement of nationals from the organization of Eastern Caribbean states. However, these small islands are doing well so there is no need to move from one country to the other in droves.
Gaston Browne knows the problems Antigua will face with open borders. He plays political games at election time to get votes.
We don’t need no influx of unskilled people in Antigua and Barbuda. I agree with Gaston that we should accept people based on the required skills.
May god help us to love each other
Tap ayuh yard, not even aryu own want deal with arw, the dutty yarde dem a crab in a barrel and disgrace….dem have 8 consulate in a 15 years…ebry bady run….while other countries have 1….lock out the nastiness dem..and send me back to Anju.
soon as it comes Jamaican alyo jump on high horse an ready to condemmn why you all dnt go get up loom work an come out parents house
the only thing Antiguan known for is rape thief bull thats all you all do you djt even cultivate nothing for you all self insteadxa sit back an judge go back to the drawing board an find ways build up u all country an stop depending on other country for food
like Dominica etc this why you all dnt have nothing too much badmind full up you all hearts that’s why unuh look so
taking bout keep criminal how about yu all keep unuh antiman dem an thief dem ppl can’t walk in Antigua free without you all robbing them an bulling them look the tourist you all target them go talk about that all you in the comments Jamaican an go suck unuh muma dry
Look! I went to UWI in Barbados and had many Jamaican friends and lived with some as well. I am still in contact with some but over the 30 something years, not one has ever shown any interest in coming to Antigua! They are there building their country or moved on to higher heights. The point is: we have attracted very few quality immigrants moving here. Good for ABLP who use them to stay in power but extremely bad for our country.
Now, Caricom is not to be blamed. If our politicians didn’t take them ‘fast’ selves and allowed so many immigrants in such as short space of time, we could now support it in a controlled way. But reality is what it is and true, we want no more higglers and ‘security’ guards.
My only warning now is to UPP, not that they need it but, do not exploit this situation. This might be our only chance to bring back sanity to this island.
Many of us were blaring at the top of our lungs when Gatson Browne brought in 1000 Africans and just let them roam freely in St John’s, (where are they now) then he tried it again with the Air Peace flight, when 12 of those Africans didn’t even have any documents at all, what did Gatson did then, ignored the citizens of Antigua and do his own damn thing.
So if it’s now y’all think he’s gonna tighten up the border and this slack immigration system,y’all will be waiting for a while, maybe never.
Just recently, two Jamaican nationals jump through a window and escape the law, because they didn’t want to go back to Jamaica, and just only those two that were rounded up, so where are the rest?
I agree with @Ras Smood whole heartedly, but not holding my breath on that to be done from this administration.
Gatson Browne is not about immigration reform, he never was..why would he, when he can win elections with the very votes of these illegals?
I’m not holding my breath for this administration to do a damn thing to stop the free movement policies that were adopted by Caricom.
It is notable that Jamaica is so keen on free movement, after all it is only natural with such a large criminal population they would want to export them to other CARICOM territories. Antigua is a prime example.of this scourge which is now plaguing its people. Our more than useless Prime Minister is now showing belated concern now the horse has already bolted from the stable; this would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious as he himself has put country before party before country to increase ABLP votes at general elections. Oh, for a government such as The Bahamas on the other hand whose leaders make the interest of its citizens their number one priority. Having said that, you get what you pay for.
Typo, Should be party before country.
Jamaica is the murder capital of the world and that’s Facts!!!!!!!
Please keep dem skeng and skillubeng and Kartel foolinish a Jamaica, do God bless you. Dem too lub kill and then put um inna music.
Jamaica needs to work on its murder rate before people tek dem serious. Clean it up its a great country.
Yes, I wish we would love each other,because we are going to need each other
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