Caribbean Unity in Motion: Four islands launch free movement regime October 1

BELIZE--In one week, Belize, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica, will roll out the first phase of the Free Movement Regime. Under this agreement, nationals of these four CARICOM states will be able to live, work, and study freely across each other’s territories without the need for work permits or visas. The initiative, which takes effect on October 1, represents a major step forward in advancing regional integration and expanding opportunities for citizens across the Caribbean.

Ambassador David Comissiong of Barbados outlined how the new system will function. Interestingly, the ambassador spoke on the crucial role a national identification card will play down the road.

“All citizens, you know, will have the right to move. The grandparents, the working age people, the children, even the dependents, even a citizen of the three countries they may have a non-national wife or they may have non-national dependent children they are welcomed as well. We want to move beyond the passport. We want to move to people being able to move with things like a national ID card, for example. We are going to be working towards making sure that all four of the member states come up to the same level in terms of national IDs. And so that in the near future we trust that it would not be restricted to people with passports. You can probably move with a national ID. But to start, we agreed that we would start with the need for a passport," he said.

For the people of these countries, the framework opens new doors to employment, business, and educational opportunities in the region. Officials stress that the system has been carefully structured to make relocation straightforward for citizens of the participating countries.  According to Ambassador Commisiong, officials from the four countries have been in several meetings over the past few months to develop a common framework in the areas of health, immigration, labour and other sectors.

“Once you’re a citizen of any of those countries you come into Barbados you will be automatically given indefinite stay. And in Barbados, we no longer stamp passports but you will be given a digital stamp. But if you intend to live indefinitely and to work in Barbados you’re required to go and register at the Ministry of Labor, Social Security, and the third sector. Because what we want, we want people who intend to work or to live indefinitely to go in and register so that we put them on track for getting their national ID. We put them on track for registering in the National Insurance Scheme and registering under the Barbados Revenue Authority so that they then have the instruments that they need to really function properly in Barbados.”

As it relates to the accessibility of healthcare and other basic services, Ambassador Commissiong gave assurances that these services will be afforded in each of the participating country.

Comissiong: “You will be guaranteed access to primary and secondary education on the same terms as a citizen of Barbados. You will be guaranteed access to emergency and primary health care on the same terms as a citizen of Barbados.”

The Free Movement Regime is seen as a milestone in regional integration.  It is a spinoff, of sorts, from the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), which is a wider initiative aimed at integrating economies and creating a single market for the entire region.

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