Prime Minister Mia Mottley defended her government’s regional free movement initiative as vital to Barbados’ survival and Caribbean unity, rejecting opposition accusations that it is a strategy to influence future elections.
On the floor of the House of Assembly in a rare Monday sitting, she mounted a robust defence of the government’s signature regional policy, denouncing Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne’s claims that it is a veiled attempt to pad the voters’ list.
“I do not need Caribbean nationals to beat the Democratic Labour Party in the next election,” she said. “This is not about electoral fortunes. It is about securing Barbados’ future.”
She further warned that such rhetoric threatens to undermine one of the most significant milestones in Caribbean integration.
Debating the Caribbean Community (Free Movement of Nationals) Bill, the Prime Minister said freedom of movement was essential to Barbados’ long-term stability, given the country’s declining population and growing skills gap.
Describing the opposition’s argument as “embarrassing and lazy”, Mottley said the law was not about political advantage but about ensuring the nation’s economic survival and sustaining its social systems in the decades ahead.
The Prime Minister said the legislation would formalise the right of citizens of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize and Dominica to live and work in Barbados without a permit, in keeping with the spirit of regional cooperation envisioned by founding leaders such as Errol Barrow and Lloyd Erskine Sandiford – both former leaders of the opposition DLP.
She told the House that the country could not ignore its demographic realities, pointing to a near 50 per cent drop in births over the last two decades – from 4 052 in 2001 to just 2 229 in 2023 – and an increasingly ageing population that poses serious risks to economic growth, the national insurance scheme and the country’s overall stability.
“We cannot sustain confidence in our social security system or our growth trajectory if we do not address the fact that our population is declining and ageing,” she warned, noting that “migration and managed labour mobility must form part of the solution”.
Mottley also used the opportunity to address public anxieties about the potential strain on social services, assuring Barbadians that the new regime would not compromise access to health care, jobs or national security.
She said the agreement allows only emergency and primary health care access for regional nationals and does not permit anyone to enter the island as a charge on the public purse.
“People are coming to work,” she said. “They will pay national insurance and taxes like everyone else, and our CARICOM social security arrangements already ensure benefits follow the worker wherever they go.”
Responding to fears of worker exploitation, she said her administration had increased the Labour Ministry’s inspection capacity and was working closely with contractors and unions to enforce fair labour practices.
“We will not tolerate exploitation. The Ministry of Labour has the responsibility to investigate and take action wherever it occurs,” she added.
The Prime Minister further stressed that national security checks remain firmly in place, explaining that individuals entering Barbados are screened through the Joint Regional Communication Centre, regional watchlists and the United States Department of Homeland Security.
“We have been doing these checks since 2007,” she said. “Before anyone sets foot in this country, there are triple checks to ensure we keep Barbados safe.”
Expressing disappointment that what she described as a “seminal moment” in regional integration had devolved into partisan controversy, Mottley said the opposition’s attempts to stir fear were “fanciful” and “irresponsible”.
“If ever there was a need for solidarity, cooperation and freedom of movement, it is now,” she said. “Barbados cannot go it alone.” She reminded lawmakers that successive administrations, regardless of party, had championed the cause of regional unity, from CARIFTA to the Grand Anse Declaration and the formation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy.
On the island’s workforce needs, Mottley said Barbados was already struggling to find skilled professionals in key sectors, including health care, engineering and renewable energy.
Referring to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital as one example, she noted that despite the creation of hundreds of new positions, many remain vacant due to a shortage of qualified personnel.
“We brought nurses from Ghana because the skills were not readily available here,” she recalled. “This is not about replacing Barbadians; it is about filling gaps so that our systems can function.”
The Prime Minister criticised what she said was the opposition’s intent to foment xenophobia and made an appeal for calm and collective resolve, urging the public not to be fearful.
She gave the assurance that her administration will not expose Barbadians to any deterioration in their quality of life, but would ensure that Barbados remains stable, secure and prosperous for the future.
shannamoore@barbadostoday.bb
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