Bridgetown - Irregular migration through the Caribbean is a growing concern, exacerbated by economic and security hardship in some countries. In response, CARICOM IMPACS – the Community’s Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) are collaborating to share expertise, coordinate efforts, and optimize resources to prevent and combat migrant smuggling and human trafficking, as well as manage borders in an integrated, secure manner.

The three organizations met in Barbados on October 29-30 to develop a coordinated action plan to combat migrant smuggling, marking a key milestone in the regional strategy. It also represents the first initiative following the July signing of the Joint Statement of Partnership between IOM and UNODC. "This coordination meeting is the first of its kind on this issue and sets a precedent for replication with other stakeholders and regions" stated Lissette Reyes, Project Officer for UNODC in the Caribbean.

Patrice Quesada, IOM’s Coordination Officer for the Caribbean, emphasized the critical importance of coordinated action to save lives, noting that migrant smuggling poses deadly risks.  "In 2023, IOM’s Missing Migrants Project documented 321 deaths and disappearances in the Caribbean, representing a nearly 78% increase from the 180 cases recorded just two years earlier. The alarming number underscores the dangerous conditions many migrant faces while attempting to travel.  We are committed to strengthening regional cooperation to expand safe migration pathways and ensure the protection of all migrants, regardless of status”.

As a follow-up to this meeting, the group of experts committed to advocating to adopt model legislation aimed at preventing and countering migrant smuggling. In April, the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis became the first CARICOM Member State to adopt legislation based on this model. Additionally, in 2023, Standard Operating Procedures for frontline officers were developed based on the model legislation.

For his part, Rufus Ferdinand, CARICOM IMPACS Chief Legal and Compliance Officer concluded, “We are equipping Member States with the tools and strategies to secure their borders while ensuring that vulnerable populations receive the protection and support they need. Together, we embark on a vital journey toward a more secure and equitable Caribbean, where our nations stand united in confronting these shared challenges. This meeting represents an important milestone in our ongoing efforts to foster regional cooperation and advancing the principles of safety, security, and human dignity throughout our member states”.

The joint meeting, supported by IOM’s Western Hemisphere Program and financed by the United States Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, contributes Sustainable Development Goals 5, 8, 10 and 16, as well as to objectives 9, 10 and 11 of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.