In recent years the issue of how some citizens of member states of CARICOM are treated in certain countries has taken a front burner and this is rather sad unfortunate development in the region particularly in light of the fact that so much is being said about Caribbean integration and movement towards a single market and economy.
The Barbadian immigration controversy should have never reached the current level of acrimony. Instead the matter should have been dealt with in forthright but amicable manner. To some extent a bit of “bad blood” now exists between Barbadians and Guyanese on the one hand as well as between Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This certainly does not augur well for Caribbean unity.

President Jagdeo was brutally frank, and correctly so, when he described maltreatment of Caribbean nationals by CARICOM member states as being “repugnant” during his address to the opening of the CARICOM Summit being currently held here.

“As I would have said publicly, our countries have our sovereign right to determine our own immigration policies; however, maltreatment of CARICOM citizens is repugnant to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas; not just to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, but to human decency. If we treat our people badly, how can we then expect other countries to receive them with respect.”

PRESIDENT of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, in his first address to Caribbean leaders in his capacity as Chairman of the Caribbean Community, declared last evening that maltreatment of Caribbean people within the region is repugnant.

The Guyanese Head of State was addressing the Heads of Government of member states and special invitees at the official opening of the 30th Meeting of the Heads at the National Cultural Centre, on Mandela and Homestretch Avenue, in Georgetown.

“As I would have said publicly, our countries have our sovereign right to determine our own immigration policies; however, maltreatment of CARICOM citizens is repugnant to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas; not just to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, but to human decency”.

“If we treat our people badly, how can we then expect other countries to receive them with respect,” the new Chairman questioned.

He stressed that similarly, the average Caribbean manufacturing company will form its conclusions about regional integration by the ease with which its product can enter the market of another member state.

Further pointing out that if these manufacturers were to encounter problems that cause their products to be accepted in one market, but rejected in another, or face standards that are higher for regional products than for those for extra-regional goods, then regional integration becomes a fiction to them.

“These are the nuisances we need to fix if we are to arrest disenchantment with regional endeavours”, Mr. Jagdeo asserted.

He stated that whatever views there may be on the achievements thus far, “there is no alternative to integration”.

He pointed to the European Union, made up of some 27 countries and 491 million people, and their continued dedication to pursuing higher forms of integration.

“How much more should we, who are much smaller and certainly more disadvantaged, also seek to have greater unity and cooperation?

“In my view, our work will remain incomplete until the day that a child born anywhere in our region opens his or her eyes to a patrimony that sees no boundaries, discriminations and nationalities within our integration in the region.

“We as leaders can set the example for such a glorious day” the President urged.

This should certainly is what we as a Caribbean people should aspire and work towards. We cannot allow ourselves to sap our energies with issues like maltreatment of our people. In fact proper treatment of our people should be automatic.

In the current scenario we have to look at the bigger picture of advancing our economic viability through greater industrialisation, diversification of production and modernisation of our economies so that we can drastically reduce poverty and lift the living standards of our people.

We should certainly heed the advice of our elderly statesman P. J Patterson: Singing from the same hymn sheet is the only way that any of us can be heard in the global arena,” he said.