Gonsalves warns of collapse of CSME

May 17, 2009 News

– given discriminatory immigration policies by some CARICOM members

Vincentian Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has warned of the collapse of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) in the face of discriminatory immigration policies in some territories of the regional integration bloc – CARICOM.

Vincentian PM Dr Ralph Gonsalves

A new Bajan immigration policy threatens the deportation of all illegal immigrants at the end of this year, but CARICOM Secretary General Edwin Carrington has said that while CARICOM is not lenient towards “illegal” immigrants “the way” in which policies are executed matters.

Speaking at the end of a meeting of CARICOM’s Council for Trade and Economic Development here in Guyana, Carrington suggested that this matter could come up for discussion when Caribbean leaders meet in Trinidad on May 23.

In a statement issued in the Vincentian House of Parliament, Gonsalves, while not naming Barbados specifically, said it was sad that some political leaders are “stoking chauvinistic fires which are latent in our Caribbean societies.”

“This has led here and there to an outpouring of a malignant xenophobia particularly against Guyanese, Jamaicans, Vincentians, St Lucians and Grenadians,” he is quoted by news reports as saying.

Gonsalves has been quoted as saying that if the discrimination does not stop, then “Caricom would shortly be rent asunder.”

The St. Vincent Prime Minister, who is known to be outspoken, drew an example of discrimination whereby a Vincentian woman who is married to a Barbadian was denied a student visa for her five-year-old niece who was attending school in Barbados and her 18-year-old niece who was writing exams last September.

Gonsalves said both had to leave Barbados within a seven-day period on instructions of the Immigration Department. A letter outlining the circumstances had been sent to Thompson, Gonsalves said.

He said his government is being patient with CARICOM and will never “lightly abandon the CSME, but the discriminatory antics against our nationals by some immigration authorities must stop.”

Gonsalves asserted that the Vincentian government had gone way beyond the treaty and had accommodated CARICOM nationals who were not yet entitled to the right of unemployment.

Carrington said the May 23 meeting of leaders in Trinidad will be the earliest opportunity to determine “whether we are going in the right direction.”