…two Foreign Ministers to meet tomorrow in Belize
THE RAGING controversy over a case of alleged “finger-rape” of a 22-year-old Jamaican woman by a Barbadian immigration officer is expected to be officially discussed in Belize tomorrow by the Foreign Ministers of the two concerned Caribbean Community states. The face-to-face encounter between Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Ken Baugh, and his Barbadian counterpart, Maxine McClean, is scheduled to occur on the margins of the two-day meeting of Council of Ministers of the CARIFORUM Group of countries (CARICOM) plus Dominican Republic), which concludes on Friday.
Probes are under way in both countries into the circumstances and veracity of the sensational accusation by the complaining victim. They currently involve the police, high profile legal counsel and, in the case of Jamaica, it’s Public Defender (Earl Witter) and the Women’s Movement of the opposition People’s National Party (PNP).
And, with Barbados being quite on the defensive in questioning the credibility of Myrie’s claims, this very sensitive issue–which is also being linked to often reported discomforting problems experienced on intra-regional travels by nationals of the 15-member Caribbean Community—now seems heading for urgent wider consideration by the member governments.
Complaints of unfair, discriminatory and unethical behaviour being meted out to CARICOM nationals arriving at some ports of entry in the region have become a distressing regular feature.  
Civil society oranisations, human rights advocates and mainstream media contend that this problem should no longer be ignored by officials and ministers who remain in a denial mode and in the absence of known independent probes—either at national or regional level.

Case for CARICOM
In the current controversy involving Barbados and Jamaica, their Foreign Ministers have been in communication following the initial shocking claim, over a week ago, as first reported by the ‘Jamaica Observer’ on March 24, with a photograph of the complaining victim, Shanique  Myrie,  headlined: “Finger-raped in Barbados—Jamaican woman deported after shameful cavity search by immigration officer”.

Myrie was a first-time visitor to Barbados and provided graphic details to the Observer newspaper of her detention, claimed humiliating postures and repeated acts of the demeaning cavity search to which she was subjected by the immigration officer who, she claimed, had taken off her official name tag and unleashed expletives against Jamaicans coming into Barbados and, allegedly, engaging in unlawful activities.
According to what she also subsequently stated in reports to the Jamaica Foreign Minister as well as National Security Minister Dwight Nelson, Myrie was also forced to share a small  untidy bed in a cold untidy room in an immigration cell with another woman (a Jamaican national, Rickrisha Rowe), at Grantley Adams International Airport. They were both deported early the following morning after just given time to brush their teeth.
Myrie felt “insult was added to injury” when Barbados’ minister responsible for immigration matters, Senator Harry Husbands, came forward with an instant dismissal of her story.
The minister was reported as telling the media that there was “no record” that claimed humiliating experience (‘Weekend Nation, March 25). Question of relevance, as raised by others is who would have been expected to place “on record” such a very serious allegation?
Two days later, when the Jamaican victim learnt that Barbados’ Foreign Minister McClean had told the local media that “there is absolutely no truth” to her story as first published in the Jamaica Observer, (Barbados Sunday Sun of March 27), she angrily countered: “Barbadians are the ones lying” and stressed: “I was humiliated and searched like I was an animal…”
I figured it was time to have a personal conversation with the traumatized Shanique Myrie and after securing her telephone in Jamaica, I sought confirmation from her about the reported nightmare ordeal she had experienced and what course of action she was currently pursuing.
Her explanation was brief. Having gone to the media and reported the case to the police and ministers of government, as well as having spoken with Jamaica’s Public Defender, “the entire case is now in the hands of my lawyer.”
On obtaining the name and telephone contact of her lawyer, I discovered he was Jamaica’s former Foreign Minister, Anthony Hilton, who is well known to me. 
Hilton said that he had just completed an interview with his client, Shanique Myrie, and was “quite convinced of her credibility”. He further said that he was “determined to pursue to the fullest extent this grievous complaint of Ms Myrie….”