FIVE days into 2010, the new immigration policy in Barbados, aimed at addressing the issue of undocumented immigrants, is in effect.

However, reports from the island yesterday indicated that it was business as usual, in particular with Guyanese of that status trying to keep a low profile.

There were, so far, no late night and early morning raids, at entertainment places where such immigrants are known to frequent or at work sites where they are mostly employed.

MINISTER of houseing and water, Mr. Irfaan Ali

People (immigrants) are going to work as usual but we are still a bit cautious. It is important that, once you are venturing out of your home, to always have on your person, some documentation showing your status on the island.

“It’s like a touch and go situation. At anytime, there can be a campaign and you are in the middle of it. Honestly, though, you are not in harm’s way, as long as you keep within the confines of the law of the island,” one person said.

It was noted, however, that while there are still many Guyanese around, a large number of them have returned home during the Christmas holidays. They include some who had not visited in years but expect that they will be accepted back and start a new page.

Minister of State with responsibility for Labour and Immigration, Senator Arni Walters

A Daily Nation newspaper report in Barbados quoted Minister of State with responsibility for Immigration, Senator Arni Walters, as saying that any crackdown following the deadline would be on those who have not applied to have their status regularised and are caught in any illegal activity.

“If you have a work permit it’s no problem, but we won’t go rounding up anybody,” he said.

The report, which stated that the Government will not be rounding up any illegal immigrants still on the island but continues to crack down on undocumented CARICOM nationals involved in criminal activity, said the Minister further said that, even those who had applied but had not qualified can go to the Immigration Review Committee to see if they have reasonable grounds, in terms of their expectations of staying.

This, he explained, would include matters relating to family, children born in Barbados to illegal immigrants, as well as issues of gainful employment.

ROUNDUP
He emphasised that, if there was indeed any roundup, it would target undocumented people who became involved in criminal activity.

Walters said he did not have exact numbers of applications or estimates of people expected to be leaving Barbados but confirmed that a number of people (had) left on their own in late December, because many had recognised they would have difficulty remaining in Barbados undocumented.

The Senator also promised that Government would seek Barbadians’ views on the issue and the Green Paper on immigration through a series of town hall meetings from January 14.

“That will be an opportunity for people to look, in some broad way, at the whole immigration policy,” he said, adding this would involve matters relating to legislation and the offspring of illegal immigrants.

Walters reiterated that Government was not targeting any particular nationality, as there are a number of Jamaicans, Trinidadians, Vincentians and Guyanese residing there illegally, among them people who had arrived there under CARICOM status but had overstayed their allotted time.

He also pointed to “a couple thousand applications” in the Immigration Department, about which nothing was done prior to the policy being put in place but are now being processed.

“The policy was one that looked at undocumented CARICOM nationals, so anyone who is documented should have no fear and this includes people who have been visiting for years and not breaching their times.”

Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson officially notified undocumented Caribbean nationals, last May 5, that his Government would be fulfilling its pledge to address the issue of immigration and overcrowding.

He told Parliament then that the new policy had resulted from recommendations made by a sub-committee looking into the level of illegal immigration and it had concluded that the current levels of illegal immigrants were “unacceptably high, increasingly difficult to control and posed potentially negative socio-economic challenges for the country”.

Thompson, two months ago, disclosed that the Government had received about 300 applications for amnesty from illegal immigrants but that the process had suffered delays in the issuing of Police certificates of character.

“When the amnesty period is over on December 31, then the sanctions, if you want to call it that, or the second part of the policy, kicks in, which is the removal of those who are here illegally. Nothing has changed. That is still the Government’s policy,” the Prime Minister said in November.

Meanwhile, up to late last year the Barbadian authorities had not replied to the Guyana Ministry of Foreign Affairs dossier of complaints by alleged victims.

The submission followed interviews conducted by the Ministry and the Guyana Consulate in Barbados and Thompson’s denial of harassment allegations against law enforcement authorities on the island and demand for such documentation.