It appears like a distant past that our fervent leaders spoke vociferously for the creation of a CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), an integrated development strategy envisioned at the 10th Meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government in Grenada in 1989. These powerful voices pale in comparison to the weak monotones of the murmurs we hear presently. The current conundrum on the issue of immigration matters reflects the present level of commitment of our leaders to regional integration. The “our space” has dissolved into the quarrels of “you in my space”, a regionalistic protagonism converted into an individualistic antagonism of self interest and pride.
This crisis is apparently sui generis to the Region, when the same is mounting a “sophisticated” blend of diplomacy and negotiations to lobby for a change in the American “USA” Foreign Policy which according to them is “unjust and unfair”. The same reflects an ultra-right wing disposition to have and not give. The paralysis here is that the notion of a global village whether understood or remotely accepted has not sunk into the weary heads of our regional leaders who struggle to walk a thin line between advancing national interest and fostering greater political mileage while per chance advancing regional integration.
It is to no one’s surprise that the “rounding up” of Guyanese in Barbados or the “Heartless Antiguan policy towards CARICOM nationals” is now seen as a colossal bubble about to burst. As vindictive as the six (6) months time frame granted by the Barbadian government to the illegal immigrants to have their status regularized may seem, which produces a potentially tricked sanitization of the island of its illegal workers who provide invaluable service to the growth and development of the Island of the Flying fish’s economy , Immigration policies are simply a mean to an end.
This distasteful development is quickly turning its ugly head into a proliferation of the “MySpace” mindset which has engulfed this region of small “countries” whose economies pale in significance to that of its neighbors.
Whilst it is imperative that our leaders promote the “demilitarization” of free movements of skilled workers in CARICOM, one cannot possibly justify the right of those entering one’s country illegally. A wrong is never a right. It is for the same reason that the initiative came about in the first place, to make skills movement hassle free and not illegally free. Nevertheless, a few bad apples continue to spoil the opportunities of the bunch. Nonetheless, undocumented immigrants deserve to be treated humanely and respectfully and to be dignifiedly and not unceremoniously repatriated to their home country.
It is of no surprise that we see the regional leaders expressing outright “regret and concern” of the increasing numbers of the regional body members pushing feverishly for a more intrinsic alliance with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and hence the ALBA initiative. Some unnerved by the benefits to be had from the CARICOM regional grouping are now becoming ponds to the proverbial “a stitch in time saves nine.”
The Petrocaribe initiative seemed a poison chalice to the many that it rescued during the oil price surges of the past year. Inevitably, what we have before us represent the nucleus of the problems the regional leaders are facing. The CSME is indisputably at crossroads, and unless something is done to restrain this loose canon, we will continue to “talk the walk” and not “walk the talk”.
It gives the impression that the proverb “we never miss the water until the well runs dry” was written for us and by us, we only learn the hard way indeed. What has to ensue before our leaders implement a make or break effort? When Barbados repeat the 1 from 10 leaves 0” avowal or “Trinidad and Jamaica align with the OECS instead? I think CARICOM should take a leaf of the OECS’s books.
The efforts of our founder fathers who initiated CARIFTA should not go in vain. It’s apparent that neither our leaders nor peoples are not cognizant of the “NEED” versus the “WANT” of regional integration.
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