The International Organization for Migration says that one-third of the Antiguan population comprises Guyanese and other migrants.
This information was provided by the IOM as it prepared to release in St John’s the findings of a preliminary assessment of mechanisms addressing mixed migration flows and the needs of the most vulnerable migrants in Antigua and Barbuda.
IOM noted that migration flows to, within and out of the Caribbean have become increasingly more mixed, with some international migrants especially vulnerable.
At a debriefing session being held in the capital St. John’s, IOM will report that there are migrants who may be in particularly vulnerable situations such as those trafficked for sexual exploitation or forced labour and those not being paid the minimum wage.
It said that at least one-third of the 74,324 population in Antigua and Barbuda are migrants who arrive mostly by air from the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Guyana.
IOM says it has recommended carrying out comprehensive training on mixed-migration flows and response strategies, increasing public awareness on migrant protection issues and implementing the new human trafficking and migrant smuggling laws.
The session today will wrap up two weeks of activities that began last week in Trinidad and Tobago.
An IOM assessment at the Port-of-Spain activities confirmed that despite a lack of data on size and characteristics of migration, there are a large number of undocumented migrants who arrive by air and sea through illegal channels, or who arrive legally and then overstay. These migrants, from countries in the Caribbean, Latin America, West Africa, and East Asia, are quickly absorbed by the established migrant communities in Trinidad. The assessment highlighted a need for Trinidad to develop screening forms and procedures based on mixed-migration categories.
The two in-country assessments are part of a new IOM project, Protecting Vulnerable Migrants in the Caribbean, funded by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM).
Through the new project, IOM will also provide technical aid to Port-of-Spain and St John’s by developing procedures and integrating best practices for identifying and helping the most vulnerable migrants.
IOM says it will also provide, on a case-by-case basis, support to English and Dutch speaking Caribbean countries that are assisting the most vulnerable migrants (such as minors and victims of trafficking) with immediate shelter, food, medical care, and voluntary return and reintegration. It said that more than 50 victims of trafficking in these Caribbean countries have been identified by IOM and partners.
