Edmund Hinkson
The newly elected Mia Mottley-led administration has abolished the “illegal” visa requirement for Haitian nationals entering Barbados.
Telling Barbados TODAY this evening he was shocked when he learned over the weekend that such a requirement was in place, Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson said with Haiti being a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), there was no logical reason to impose visa requirements on its citizens.
“It should not have been on in the first place. I was shocked to learn that on Saturday,” Hinkson said.
“That is clear law . . . that was absolutely incorrect. If Haiti is a member of CARICOM and the Treaty of Chaguaramas speaks to non-discrimination and equal treatment, how can you have put on visa requirements on Haitians? Why do we do this to our own people?”
Hinkson also revealed that his ministry was in the process of preparing a white paper on immigration with a view to deepening the integration movement and this country’s relationship with the rest of the region.
“We are going to look clearly at reforming the immigration legislation of Barbados as well as the policies of it. Clearly our Immigration Act is outdated,” he said, going on to make reference to a section of the legislation which bars “imbeciles and mentally and physically handicapped persons” from entering the country.
“We have been mandated to look at that. I mean, you would have heard Prime Minister [of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph] Gonsalves was reported in the press about two weekends ago as saying that Barbados and Trinidad are the worse culprits in terms of offending . . . the Treaty of Chaguaramas in terms of how we treat CARICOM nationals. We have to look at all of that,” the Minister of Home Affairs said.
He insisted that Barbados ought to respect the regional conventions and treaties that it has signed, while stressing that with CARICOM being the only region in the world with which Barbados has a trade surplus of over 50 per cent, it was important that the island addresses its relationship with the rest of the Caribbean.
Hinkson also argued that Barbados must play a leadership role in CARICOM, especially since it has lead responsibility for the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).
“Unfortunately, over the past ten years of Democratic Labour Party administration, relations with intra-Caribbean declined when they should have gone forward. After the 2007 [cricket] World Cup we had tremendous cooperation in terms of travel between CARICOM countries for CARICOM nationals
“Clearly we have a duty as Barbadians to the Caribbean to now advance relations with CARICOM nationals. Clearly our immigration policies and legislation have to be part of that reform,” the minister said.
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The level of discussion on this thread is amazing. It appears that we are sleep walking through this contemporary era. The world has become a global village. Most of us have relatives who emigrated to other countries; most of us travel well beyond the Caribbean. Some of us beg, borrow or even steal the money to get to some of these places. Yet we want to restrict people who have the same dreams we have? We deem some worthy to enter and some not so worthy? What on earth is happening to Barbadians?
Those of you who call yourselves Christians should be ashamed....and we do like to say Barbados is a Christian nation. If it is, then surely we should follow the example of Jesus, whose entire ministry was one of inclusion. Jesus sought to tear down barriers, remove boundaries, so that all may know human flourishing. Why aren't we seeking to do the same? Surely, if we believe God is in control, then God has this.....
@Allison Archer my advice to u is to research Christianity and why massa stuffed it down your ancestors throat - do or die type of thing. Then eventually u was white washed in the bs. If u r a follower of the Christ what do u do that he did? I bet NOTHING. What does Rev 22:12 say? what does REFORMATION mean?
to the person who wrote that Haitians speak french, I visited there for one year, there is the French side, of Haiti & the English side, what blew my mind & I hope there has been an improvement, is the poverty & the young girls having no choice but to prostitute themselves to survive.they were friendly when I was there.
Ricado; you know what I say to these home grown bajans that is so prejudice against their brothers and sisters that its a shame. Do they know that the bajan went to BG,. now Guyana to work and be able to send some money back to feed their families. The bajan is everywhere in other people countries, some are documented and some are not. I say to them that the white people was in barbados before them and they brought them to the island so the white should ask them to shut up or get them back where their ancestors came from.
Ever heard of a Haitian boat lift? These people love to travel on boats to seek greener pastures. This is an open invitation for an invasion of this island. What would we do if one morning we wake up to learn that there boat loads of Haitians outside of the Bridgetown Harbour? We certainly don't have the resources to return them.
@Juanita Lynch
I know that there is an U.S. Embassy in Haiti. However the Haitians who live in the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe or any Eastern Caribbean island are instructed to apply at the US Embassy in Barbados.
why can't people deal with the root of the matter, one have nationals in their homeland living as animals longing to escape for betterment,
why not deal with their leaders?
why can't all these organisations established compelled these leaders to right all these wrongs that the people can settle in their land?
why? why?
every nation have their own culture identity, there is nothing wrong with vacationing in another part of the world but let the people have a strong desire to return to their land
just deal with the root of the problem and stop trimming the branches
be bless in Christ's love this day people for God is love
Well well well. Trump is criticized for advocating the prevention of migrants from impoverished countries. Yet, some are here advocating the very same thing. Perhaps we need comprehensive immigration reform too. If the real issue is usefulness, then it ought not be masked in xenophobia. Indeed, all individuals who are not making meaningful contribution should be casted away. For God's sake we are a nation of migrants.
The Blp wants to be EUROPE LIKE creating free movement so no surprises since this here majority r sheep and will follow. instead of lead. Now this is where the is where the pulp is separated from the pith, the EU though strong with clear set goals, Britain had to go Brexit due to an influx from all over overburdening ALL social areas. Hence a few moist restrictions was put in place, which made little difference as those rules mainly affected the African and Caribbean blacks. Now we in the Caribbean territories should have fused 52yrs ago, as one voice and one vehicle for growth and trade etc. But, guess what, you majority have no ECONOMIC, POLITICAL,OR military MIGHT among several other difficulties.
If you all do not know Edmund Hinkson mom is a Guyanese. He has many relatives here in Barbados. His family includes pilots, doctors and other professionals who are living sweet at the expense of Black Barbadians. Minister Hinkson is only making it much easier for his fellow Guyanese too once again inundate Barbados as in the Owen Arthur era. This is what you all voted for.