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Commentary
PEP COLUMN: Message
to the
migrants
Published on: 11/13/2009.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, undocumented CARICOM migrants residing in Barbados were sent into a state of panic when authorities started to routinely order the removal from Barbados of "illegals" who, in an effort to regularise their status, had voluntarily gone into the Immigration Department and filed applications for immigrant status.
Of course, these applicants for immigrant status were simply following a modus operandi that had developed under the previous Barbados Labour Party regime, of permitting undocumented CARICOM migrants who had resided in Barbados for five or more years to come forward and have their status regularised.
It came as a great shock therefore when, contrary to the past practice, instead of granting the applicants official permission to remain in Barbados while their applications were being processed, the authorities started to order them to leave the island.
The panic intensified in May when Prime Minister David Thompson announced that his Government would be offering an amnesty to undocumented CARICOM migrants - but only if such migrants had been residing in Barbados from before January 1, 1998.
This led to a feeling of doom and gloom in the CARICOM migrant community, for there was a perception that undocumented migrants who had come to Barbados after January 1, 1998, would be ordered to leave the island once they came to the attention of immigration authorities.
Thus, there was great apprehension and a reluctance to follow the Prime Minister's directive that all undocumented migrants should report to the Immigration Department between June 1 and December 1, 2009.
It was at this stage that leading members of the People's Empowerment Party (PEP) joined with other citizens and residents of Barbados to establish the Coalition For A Humane Amnesty.
The coalition immediately went into action and sought to catalyse a reconsideration of the policy, with a view to making modifications that would render the policy less threatening and disruptive to qulaified CARICOM migrants.
The coalition reached out to all of the relevant policymakers of Barbados, inclusive of Prime Minister Thompson, Minister Arnie Walters, the chief immigration officer, Permanent Secretary Greaves, all of the members of the House of Assembly and Senate, and the major civil society organisations of Barbados.
Out of this process, the following very important and helpful modifications emerged:
(1) Migrants who have resided in Barbados for at least five years prior to June 1, have been given a guarantee that they will not be required to leave Barbados when they lodge their applications for status at the Immigration Department.
(2) Such applicants will be permitted to remain in Barbados pending the processing of their application - and in the event their application is rejected and they exercise their right of appeal to the Immigration Review Committee, pending the determination of their appeal.
(3) Applicants who do not meet the criteria for the "amnesty" have no guarantee of being given status in Barbados, but at least they do have a guarantee that their application will be seriously considered on its individual merit.
4 comment found!
Its time for us to get real : 11/18/2009
Be realistic.
We are not going to see the Royal Barbados Police force, the Barbados Defence Force and/or the Immigration department making daily sweeps across the length and breath of Barbados picking up Guyanese. That kind of thing does not even happen in America where they have a problem illegal immigrants.
The Barbados Labour Party let us down badly on this issue. They caused the problem in the first place.
My wife and I discussed this issue and we came to the conclusion that:
We must first remove the Barbados Labour Party from office in order to stem the flow of Guyanese into Barbados. That has been done.
The new administration must come up with a plan to better manage the immigration situation, which is what they are doing. Give them some time. Rome was not built in a day.
The situation that we find ourselves did not come about overnight. The solution will not come about overnight either.
Is this what our beloved Barbados have come to? : 11/18/2009
So carson cadogan because it was on CBC 1 week ago on the news it is o.k.?
Thompson has really gone too far this time.
Not only is commissong saying that these illegals will now have from 5 years instead of 11 to put in an application but they will be able to stay here in barbados for ever while they wait for the application to be processed and then if it is rejected they can still stay in barbados while they wait for years as they appeal this matter.
What was all that talk he was giving us all about?
What does chris sinckler,kellman,freundel stuart, maxine mcclean and the others have to say about this?
I hope this is not so.I really do.
~Mash Up & Buy Back
I CRY NONSENSE(Politically charged rant)!!!! : 11/18/2009
Clearly, this is evident that the government is not listening to the Bajan people. What the politicians needs to do is stop worrying about how to keep making bloody money, and start investing their time into protecting their own. BARBADOS IS TOO DARNED SMALL TO TAKE IN ANYMORE IMMIGRANTS!! Our riches and wealth is our own. WE OWE NOTHING TO CARICOM!! Bajans have come too far to have all their hard work squandered by foreigners. I don't remember seeing any immigrants knocking on our door when we had nothing to eat but stale bread and salt fish.
Here's a message to the government: "DO WHATS RIGHT AND TIGHTEN OUR BORDERS!!"
Do not let the fruits of our labour be exploited by those who have done nothing for our economy to come this far.
As I said before, it is advisable that the government look out for its own people. Refusal to do so can lead to civil disruption and mass unrest of Bajan society. An increase in violence is guaranteed to destabilize the country , much similar to that of Guyana and T&T.
DO WHAT IS RIGHT. Act now so we won't be sorry later. LEAVE THE FUTURE OF BARBADOS TO THE BAJAN CHILDREN, NOT AT THE HAND OF FOREIGNERS!!!!
Signed,
Mr. Barbados
: 11/14/2009
So does this mean now that the PEPpers are now a ligitimate entity and a force to be reckoned with? I beg to differ, duhh!! Stop blowing your own bleeping trumpet and get real, stop misleding these folks and let them stop wearing down Barbados and return to their own "yard" where they can help their own country. We are too small to handle their problems.
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