RECENTLY in the news was the issue of movement of people in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and primarily the behaviour of immigration officials at the Grantley Adams Airport, Barbados. The solidarity shown by the Guyanese society to another Guyanese who reportedly was mistreated at the Barbados airport must be commended, for it seems very clear that regardless of our differences we are what is termed our brothers and sisters’ keepers.The problems experienced by CARICOM residents at ports of CARICOM member-states will not just disappear overnight and without concerted and committed efforts by the governments of these countries. These problems have existed over a considerable period and refusal to confront them with regard to respecting each country’s sovereignty, the spirit and intent that birthed and should sustain the integration movement, will hurt it.

The route of playing the race card or blaming the receiving country that the Bharrat Jagdeo government took during the David Thompson administration when Barbados was seeking to enforce its immigration laws is the worst approach to uphold the spirit and intent of integration, and sent a message that the Guyana Government has no regard for the laws of a sister country.

The David Granger/Moses Nagamootoo administration is encouraged to take a dissimilar position to that of the Jagdeo administration,  and move to have the issue addressed, resolved, and stop the embarrassment faced by Guyanese not only in Barbados,  but at every airport within CARICOM. This should be seen as critical to the protection of  integration.

The issue of travelling and migration in this Region has been there for many years and was observed by earlier Caribbean leaders who led CARICOM countries into independence.  Those leaders were also mindful that presented with the opportunity, human nature is such where persons will move from a country considered less developed or stabled to another considered in better standing.

Prime Minister Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago, conscious of that country’s economic comparative advantage to other member-states rendered economic support to countries such as Barbados and Guyana. That support was given fully well conscious that if the economies of the other countries do not perform by creating decent jobs, unplanned movement to other countries can create shocks on their  social and economic sectors.

For instance, the job market can be saturated with skills that were not planned for and this could drive down/depress wages/salary and conditions of employment such as health and safety through an influx of un-documented workers. The issue of education and space in schools will evolve from an unplanned migration system that impacts on national planning for the education sector, where private schools, not meeting required government standards, will emerge. Public health services and housing will also have to cater for an unplanned group of individuals. These issues when put together contribute to inner-city slums that do not benefit a country, but serve to reduce its standard of living throughout.

A way needs to be found not only to address immigration, for immigration is intrinsically linked to every activity and decision made by our regional political leaders. As the region pursues a Single Economy, supported by a Single Market, it continues to import food and other consumer items with yearly value to the tune of billions of U.S. dollars.

The Single Economy requires deep thinking supported by actions. Most recently Guyana passed through the court and will deport four Haitians for violating our immigration laws. Haiti has the largest population within CARICOM, is experiencing its own socio-economic and political challenges, and given human nature it is expected our Haitian colleagues will move to other societies considered more stable.

As Guyanese speak about feeding ourselves and exporting to other CARICOM countries and wider,  the world is developing the taste/habit for organic products, herbal foods, Caribbean products, and cuisine. The time is ripe for the Region to not only engage in an aggressive self-sufficiency programme, but also seek to satisfy changing trends. Against this backdrop, the time has come for member-states to embrace farming in a holistic sense, utilising the lands in Guyana and allowing Haitians to move here in the drive to produce foods and other indigenous products  to meet regional and international demands.

CARICOM was established to harness the skills of the people and the resources within the Region for the people’s collective growth and development. It is this spirit and intent regional governments must return to and at all legitimate costs seek to protect. The issue of immigration is not the problem per se.  When the underlying systematic problems are addressed, they can go a far way in resolving the immigration contention, alleged mistreatment of fellow citizens by immigration officials, and avoid the fear that insulation is the best approach to protecting a country’s standard of living.

Each member-state has a responsibility to make sure the collective works, and to this end heads of government must work hand in hand as their predecessors did, and where in the era they are capable of doing same and more.