He is also prepared to look carefully at a guest worker programme in areas where the labour market may justify it in the future.

The announcement by the Barbadian Head of State, here for the 30th meeting of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), was made at a news conference he hosted at the Cara Lodge, Quamina Streets, in the city.

Thompson spoke against the backdrop of scathing criticisms levelled against his government as a result of a new immigration policy which took effect from June 1 last, which target undocumented immigrants on the island.

The undocumented falls under the ‘unskilled Community National’ category in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which does not, as a matter of law, provide for unrestricted freedom of movement of Community nationals, but is rather described as a goal for the region, the Prime Minister said.

He further pointed out that with a revised timetable from 2008 to 2009 for the full free movement, and with the current economic downturn, the time-frame seems unlikely.

On this note, Prime Minister Thompson categorically stated his country is not in breach of undocumented persons in his country.

“So to be clear, unrestricted freedom of movement is not in place in the Caribbean Community, and Barbados is not in breach of any of its Treaty obligations in removing those persons whose presence in our country is sanctioned neither by our Immigration laws nor by any provisions within CARICOM to which we have agreed.”

He questioned if two countries are the poles to which the unskilled movers gravitate, especially in times of economic recession, how will these countries sustain their own economies, main social services and provide a win-win for all?

“It is these inconvenient truths that we need to have the courage as leaders to confront honestly, in a spirit of mutual understanding, not public rancour,” Thompson contended.

He added that Barbados is being charged with abdicating its responsibility for being forthright enough to admit that the country is unable at this time to embrace full free movement without accompanying issues arising, including that of contingent rights.

Defending his Government’s stand to regularise the situation of undocumented individuals on the island, Prime Minister Thompson said the interim action was taken in the “absence of a consensus CARICOM decision to move to full freedom of movement, and too, of a Community policy on managed migration.

Under the policy, “those who are CARICOM nationals and have entered Barbados before December 31, 2005, and have been residing in Barbados without appropriate documentation for eight or more years, will be eligible to be considered for regularisation under an amnesty, provided that they apply before December 21, 2009, and meet the stipulated conditions which include a full criminal check.

“Those who fall outside of the eight year span, and who have overstayed their time in the country, will be asked to leave. Those who do not leave voluntarily will be deported,” the Prime Minister declared, adding, he has “every confidence” that the Immigration and Law Enforcement authorities of the island are “acting and will act in the strict conformity with the laws of Barbados and with the full respect for the rights and dignity of the individual.”