Letter to the Editor: Skerrit’s Refugee Proposal is Misguided and Hypocritical
Dear Editor,
I had to instantly jump on my computer to pen this letter after seeing a video clip on your widely read news portal. Does the Dominica Prime Minister suffer from a disease of the mind?
Serious question, because, who comes up with these madness?
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit’s is proposing to resettle hundreds of Palestinian refugees in Dominica is both baffling and deeply troubling. After more than 20 years in power—presiding over what is widely considered the weakest economy in the OECS—Mr. Skerrit now wants to take on the responsibility of integrating foreign refugees, while neglecting the real and urgent needs of his own people.
How can a leader who has failed to address the long-standing economic stagnation in Dominica suddenly champion a humanitarian effort of this scale? This is the same Prime Minister who imposed visa restrictions on desperate Haitians fleeing chaos—many of whom share historical, linguistic, and cultural ties with the Caribbean. His track record on the Haitian crisis, which continues to deteriorate right on CARICOM’s doorstep, has been one of silence and inaction. Skerrit, a longstanding member of CARICOM, has offered no tangible solutions to the region’s most pressing humanitarian emergency.
What’s worse is the sheer hypocrisy. Dominican nationals themselves are scattered across the globe, many living in difficult circumstances due to the lack of opportunity and infrastructure at home. Our own citizens require attention, jobs, and dignity. Instead of fixing healthcare, education, and basic infrastructure—or tackling the rampant youth unemployment that plagues the country—the Prime Minister is entertaining a plan that seems designed more to curry favour with wealthy foreign governments than to genuinely help anyone.
Moreover, the timing of this announcement could not be worse. Global tensions surrounding the Middle East are at a boiling point, and this proposal risks injecting unnecessary geopolitical complexity into our small, vulnerable nation. Dominica should not become a pawn in international diplomacy or a recipient of external pressures masquerading as generosity.
This is not about being anti-refugee. It’s about responsible governance. Mr. Skerrit should first fix Dominica before offering it up as a solution to crises he has neither the resources nor the moral credibility to manage.
Sincerely,
Dominican Abroad
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It seems like he’s more interested in popularity. He hates Haitians but wants Arab Muslims in Dominica? Nobody cares as much about Haiti as about Palestine, so that’s probably why he’s taken such a hypocritical, nonsensical stance.
This hold caricom is a sham . Only two Caribbean islands Haitians can travel too without visas,monsterrat and Grenada. Yet ,he is looking international attention ,talking about taking refugees from elsewhere. SMDH. Dominicans can’t even survive home because of economic hardship. Stop seeking attention and clean up your back yard .
Didn’t u read the reasons which were given?
Doctors..
Scientists..
Let’s make Dominica great again
And miss of the United States of America whilst we at it..
I support the Dominica..
Now the rest of the eastern Caribbean let’s jump on board and share the burden..
Let’s invest build houses and rent
Let’s grab the opportunity..
As his brother leader from another mother, the one with the mouthstache likes to say, he only looking noticement.
This happens when they are in power much too long. They talk and chat all kinds of foolishness because they think they are invincible.
These little pettifogging Napoleons we have around these parts saying they are leaders of people are nothing more than classless upstarts.
He doesn’t want Haitians but he wants Gazans. Is he hoping the Orange One would look favorably on him and come to Dominica to build a Buyon Alcatraz?
The writer must remember that Dominica 🇩🇲 is prone to Natural disasters and when we needed help, all these countries came and offer Aid and yes even Palestinians offered to assist. We remembered their invaluable contributions.
Dominicans love people country and as we speak there are approximately 15,000 living in Antigua alone plus 15,000 living in St Lucia 🇱🇨 , 500 in St Kitts 🇰🇳, Thousands in the USA, Canada and Europe. What if these countries start mass deportation, what would we say?
That writer in themselves is living like a foreigner well comfortable in someone else country.
People need to understand these leaders real goal and motives. It’s more about securing financial and economic assistance for their country than it is about helping Palestinians. Helping the Palestinians is just a mask.
This is a desperate move on his part to find another endless supply of funds while trying to make himself look good. Humanitarian move supposedly, but simply because it will, in his eyes, give him an excuse to get long term financial support without restriction, from those in the “developed world” who wish to remove those folks from their lands. What he seems to forget is that he does not have a health care system that will be able to support the issues with which they would come.
Dishonesty and hypocrisy mixed in with greed and a desire to remain in power. Smh
Irs just vote buying. Skerrit is more concerned of staying in power so he does not have to face the consequences of his actions. He will appear to the arabs as god sent and he will give them voting rights. Thats all that forker us concerned with.