Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams yesterday sough to rubbish claims that legislation associated with full freedom of movement into Barbados was geared at padding voter registration in the county, or laying a platform that could lead to the purchase of Barbadian citizenship.
His comments came during debate on the landmark Caribbean Community (Free Movement Of Nationals) Bill, 2025 in the House of Assembly, which will facilitate the October 1 freedom of movement regime among Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Abrahams directly addressed criticisms and misconceptions surrounding the Bill, rejecting Opposition claims that it was a ploy to “boost voters” or “sell citizenship”.
“I’ve heard it said that this is a Government agenda to financially benefit unnamed individuals. But if you are speaking truth, you don’t need protection in Parliament. The best defence to defamation is truth.”
He reminded Barbadians that regional integration and free movement were not new ideas, but the continuation of a vision championed by the island’s greatest leaders, from former Premier Sir Grantley Adams, who helped establish the West Indies Federation, to Prime Minister Errol Walton Barrow, a founder of CARIFTA and CARICOM.
“Successive governments of Barbados have worked
to pull the region together,” Abrahams said. “Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford signed the Grand Anse Declaration in 1989, and Owen Arthur guided the CARICOM Single Market and Economy into life. All recognised that a small country like Barbados needs regional integration to stand strong.”
He praised Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley’s continued commitment to regionalism, describing her as “no less determined than Owen Arthur” in pushing the Caribbean project forward.
“We are intent on seeing our regional institutions succeed. We are intent on realising our maximum potential as a people of common lineage, common geographical space and common abilities.”
In a near two-hour response, Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne posed many questions for Abrahams, in particular why only four jurisdictions formed the new movement, or why neither Jamaica nor Trinidad and Tobago was party to the measure.
“Not once has he [Abrahams] explained the absence of these two important figures, countries, in the exercise of regionalism. The people of this country expected to hear by way of explanation why Jamaica is absent, why Trinidad is absent, why is Guyana also absent. Are the people of this region not entitled to that explanation? Are they not?
“You cannot discuss CARIFTA and then CARICOM and the [CARICOM] Single Market and Economy unless you discuss those three countries in addition to Barbados, who were at the foundation of the modern regional institutional arrangement,” Thorne suggested.
He added that Barbadians believed that not every motive and intent had been spelt out across the letter of this legislation.
“The people of Barbados are entitled to an explanation as to why this movement, or rather, I correct myself, as to whether this movement lacks its credibility for the absence of those three important countries.”
He also had questions about citizenship. “The public expected the minister to address the issue of citizenship that has been sold in certain other countries . . . the Easterners. I am talking about Europe and Asia.
“If passports and citizenship have been sold to Easterners and persons not so far east in other CARICOM countries – some of which may be parties to this agreement which this Government hopes to make legislation – will they be numbered
among those CARICOM nationals who will come to Barbados and who must be given entry and indefinite stay, with the Immigration Department having lost its discretion to include them?” the Opposition Leader asked.
Demographic reality
Abrahams said the freedom of movement measure must be viewed in the context of Barbados’ demographic reality.
“We in Barbados, it is acknowledged by everybody, we are facing a population crisis. We have a declining population, our death rates are outstripping our birth rates and we have an ageing population,” the Christ Church East Member of Parliament told the Chamber.
He said that this trend made it increasingly difficult for policymakers to plan effectively for the future.
He said the issue could not be solved by natural means alone.
“We have all accepted that we cannot get the population boost necessary to sustain Barbados by natural means. Even if every Barbadian of legal age went home tonight and set about the business of having children, the best we could hope for is an economic contribution from those children in 18 years.”
The Bill was passed last night.( BA)
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