FOUR CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES LAUNCH EU-STYLE FREE MOVEMENT

By Staff Writer

In what is quite literally a ‘landmark move’ in many respects, four Caribbean countries have broken ranks with the rest of the region and removed all barriers to free movement for their respective citizens.

CARICOM (Caribbean Community) member nations Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and St Vincent and the Grenadines made history on October 1st by opening up their borders to their citizens to freely move and settle.

Called the Enhanced Cooperation in Free Movement of CARICOM Nationals(ECFM), the decision means that citizens of the four participating countries can now move between those countries without hindrance for work, to live and to access basic services without needing work permits or other residency requirements.

It has been welcomed by the CARICOM Private Sector Organisation (CPSO) as the first full implementation of full free movement rights in the region.

“The implementation of full free movement represents a defining milestone in the realisation of the CSME and brings tangible meaning to the vision of a borderless regional economy, “ the CPSO said in a statement.

It says removing restrictions “will contribute to cross-border enterprise and will facilitate the ease of doing business for the private sector, thereby strengthening intra-regional economic activity, competitiveness, and economic growth.”

Reporting on the development, the UK’s Guardian newspaper said: “A historic EU-style free movement agreement comes into force in four Caribbean countries on Wednesday, in a deal which officials hope will stem the flow of skilled professionals leaving the region for North America and Europe.”

However, some observers are regarding what they see as an experiment with a note of caution. It has been stated that while synergies between the pioneering four countries might support the open borders and “frictionless movement”, that might not be the same for other countries due to population and cultural dynamics.

In recent times, issues of immigration, free movement, citizenship and integration have become highly charged and controversial topics in several countries, including in the Caribbean.