This Government of Antigua and Barbuda’s has issued a statement to clarify its position on the movement of all CARICOM Nationals. See the full statement below:
Press Statement
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA TO MAINTAIN THE CSME SKILLS REGIME FOR MOVEMENT OF SKILLED CARICOM NATIONALS
This press statement is issued to clarify Antigua and Barbuda’s position on the movement of all CARICOM Nationals, and to avoid any misinformation or ambiguity on the matter as stated by Observer Media and subsequently carried by other online local news media.
The recently concluded Forty-Sixth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) received a report of the critical work being done by the Reconstituted Intergovernmental Task Force (IGTF), established to facilitate negotiations for revisions to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC).
The IGTF is presently focused on an immediate directive given by the Heads of Government at their Forty-Fifth meeting, which is to propose amendments to the RTC that will give a legal basis to the free movement of all CARICOM Nationals.
In this process of negotiation, Antigua and Barbuda has signaled that it wishes to maintain its use of the current skills regime, which allows it to focus on addressing labor force demand in the local market.
Antigua and Barbuda currently implements one of the most liberal immigration policies across the region and is considered a forerunner in the integration movement. Historically, the country practiced an open door immigration policy while under the leadership of Sir. V. C. Bird, which continued under successive labour party administrations, until the global economic crisis brought on severe challenges which made it impossible to continue. The CSME skills regime was then adopted as a means of allowing the jurisdiction to strengthen necessary human resource capacities.
Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the Caribbean Community, Dr. Clarence Henry stated that, “the policy is pragmatic and realistic to avoid dislocation of the indigenous population, protecting jobs, and avoiding exacerbation of our economic/fiscal challenges.”
March 3rd, 2024
While Antigua and Barbuda remains committed to the regional integration movement, it continues to balance its limited resources through a process of managed migration which the current CSME skills regime facilitates. Consequently, Antigua and Barbuda did not give its consent to the full free movement of all CARICOM nationals, as is being contemplated by other Member States of CARICOM come March 31st 2024.
Antigua and Barbuda will however signal its readiness to move towards full free movement of all CARICOM Nationals once it is better equipped to adequately accommodate the possible additional inflow of CARICOM Nationals who may intend to reside and work in the country.
It should be noted that work on finalizing the legal amendments to be made to the RTC to facilitate full free movement of CARICOM nationals will be conducted in the coming weeks through the convening of an IGTF meeting on March 7, 2024, a meeting of the Legal Affairs Committee on March 8, followed by a Heads of Government Meeting on March 15, 2024.
It is hoped that the CARICOM Secretariat will undertake a comprehensive public education programme on this matter, once all arrangements have been concluded, to avoid needless confusion on the movement of Community Nationals.
