Barbados envoy rejects reports of 15,000 CARICOM nationals settling in Barbados
Key Points(5)
- The clarification comes amid ongoing public discussion about the impact of CARICOM’s expanded free movement framework, which allows citizens of Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and St.
- Vincent and the Grenadines to live, work, and travel freely across participating member states without visas or work permits.
- The arrangement forms part of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and took effect on October 1, 2025, under the Enhanced Cooperation Protocol to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.
- Speaking on state-owned CBC TV, Comissiong said confusion arose after immigration figures were interpreted as evidence of long-term settlement rather than short-term travel flows.
- “There was some confusing information because the press put out the figure of nearly 15,000 people,” he said.
Barbados’ Ambassador to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), David Comissiong, has pushed back against reports claiming that nearly 15,000 nationals from other Caribbean countries have taken up residency in Barbados, saying the actual number is closer to 800 and that much of the reporting has misrepresented temporary travel data.
The clarification comes amid ongoing public discussion about the impact of CARICOM’s expanded free movement framework, which allows citizens of Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to live, work, and travel freely across participating member states without visas or work permits.
The arrangement forms part of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and took effect on October 1, 2025, under the Enhanced Cooperation Protocol to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.
Speaking on state-owned CBC TV, Comissiong said confusion arose after immigration figures were interpreted as evidence of long-term settlement rather than short-term travel flows.
“There was some confusing information because the press put out the figure of nearly 15,000 people,” he said. “But you can’t take that figure. Not everyone who travels to Barbados exercises the right to become a permanent resident.”
He explained that many of the individuals included in earlier estimates were short-term visitors or transit passengers rather than people who remained in the country under the free movement arrangement.
Comissiong said the number of individuals who have formally taken up residency under the policy since its implementation stands at 776.
“Even that figure is somewhat misleading,” he added, noting that a significant portion were nationals already living in Barbados who later regularized their immigration status by obtaining certificates of indefinite residence and work.
Under the policy, eligible CARICOM nationals who choose to remain in Barbados must register with the Ministry of Labour, where they are issued documentation confirming their right to indefinite residence and employment.
Comissiong said there have been no reported issues with the initiative since its launch and indicated that regional stakeholders are expected to be brought together for a comprehensive review of the program in the coming months.
The free movement arrangement is seen as a key pillar of deeper regional integration within CARICOM, aimed at facilitating labor mobility and strengthening economic ties across member states.
