Dear Editor:
I have been following the news reports about the deportation of Guyanese and other Caribbean nationals from Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. While I accept that these and any other countries have the right to manage their immigration policies in the best interest of their people, I find it quite interesting that such immigration policies are being pursued against Caribbean nationals resident in Caribbean countries while we in the Caribbean diaspora are lobbying the US for comprehensive immigration reform which seeks a “kinder, gentler” approach to dealing with the issue of deportation.
Just last week I was part of a group of Caribbean Americans participating in a White House briefing organized by the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) on a range of issues affecting the Caribbean region and the Caribbean diaspora, including immigration reform and the issue of deportation. The White House team included Valerie Jarret, Senior Adviser and Assistant to the President on intergovernmental affairs and public engagement. It was a closed briefing so I cannot divulge the details of the discussions, other than to say we got a sympathetic ear and there seemed to be recognition that the deportation policy needed to be revisited.
The issue of immigration reform was also raised during briefings on Capitol Hill last week and indeed one member of Congress pointed to the need for us to get our act together in a veiled reference to what is currently taking place in Barbados.
My simple question is, how are we to successfully seek better treatment of our Caribbean (including Trinis and Bajans) undocumented residents in America if in fact what is happening in our region is just as bad or worse than that which we are seeking to correct in the US?
Sir Shridath is right. We forget our oneness at our peril.
It was also heartening to see Professor Compton Bourne address the issue. I hope the Barbados government doesn’t accuse him of meddling in the internal affairs of their country and violating any agreements under which the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is headquartered there. This is a regional issue and who better to speak on such an issue than the head of the bank charged with responsibility for facilitating development in the region.
Yours faithfully,
Wesley Kirton