The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Caribbean Coordination office and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) recently hosted a pivotal webinar titled "Our Caribbean Story: Caribbean Migration Narratives," as part of the "Conversations on Migration in the Caribbean" series. This event, held on Wednesday, 4 December 2024, provided a platform for panelists from diverse groups in the Caribbean public to contribute their insights to the process of designing the CARICOM regional migration policy, which will serve as a blueprint for member states to create and adapt national policies according to their unique contexts.

The CONVERSATIONS ON MIGRATION episode on Caribbean Migration Narratives was youth-led, with Vanessa Burke, Dean of the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors Programme (CYAP), moderating the discussion. Panelists included  Sheena Granville-Mayers, Vice President of the Caribbean Employers’ Confederation; Pia Nichols, student of The UWI 5-Islands and Secretary of the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors Programme; Dr. Marcia Burrowes, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Culture, Creative & Performing Arts at The University of the West Indies, Cavehill Campus; and Wesley Gibbings, Vice President of the Media Institute of the Caribbean.

Dr. Marcia Burrowes, representing academia and culture, provided a broad viewpoint of the ongoing movement of Caribbean people, particularly since emancipation.  She noted that migration has been prevalent in Caribbean history and generally to improve income and standard of living.  She highlighted how trends in migration have changed based on opportunities available during each period, with West Indians moving to Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Bermuda, Panama, the United Kingdom, and North America following opportunities and developments in these areas.  She noted that,

 “The majority of people move because they really have to, because something is happening     at home that makes them move, or they want to support those at home. And so, they move.   So migration is not an easy process.” 

Dr. Burrowes lamented that post-emancipation migration trends and diaspora experiences are not included in Caribbean history curricula, and this absence of discourse contributes to a lack of understanding of the migration and diaspora experience.  As a result, when people in the diaspora want to return home, they often meet resistance and discrimination, making re-integration difficult.

Sheena Granville-Mayers, Vice President of Caribbean Employers Confederation highlighted the private sector's perspective, emphasizing the need for well-managed migration policies to address labour gaps and support economic growth.  She stressed the importance of having efficient processes available to allow labour to move easily.

“So, for private sector, migration is actually very critical because when we think about migrants from the private sector perspective, we are also looking at the skills and the diversity that they are either bringing to the workforce or taking away from the workforce when they leave. 

“In my professional experience, I've had to deal with trying to get skills come into the country where we had a shortage, but also had to deal with the complexity of navigating the CARICOM skills certificate and knowing the potential that lies there, but still also some of the difficulties we have with our regime.

 “So, migration and the processes around migration, they are important to the private sector, as well as the people element that we need for our workforce.” 

Granville-Mayers also noted that migration and displacement of people due to the impacts of climate change is increasingly becoming a topic of discussion in the private sector.

Pia Nichols, economics student at The UWI, and CARICOM Youth Ambassador for Antigua and Barbuda brought the voice of youth to the forefront, discussing how migration impacts young people as they approach adulthood and evaluate future opportunities in the region.

“As we get closer and closer to more intense consequences of climate change, maybe people my age are going to have to start seriously considering moving out of this region for our safety.  And so, when we speak about how that impacts us, it's not just economically, but also with our mental health and climate depression.

On the flip side, we do have to speak about young people being interested in getting into these different industries and not even just regional, but a global push to greener and bluer industries and making moves to a better and more sustainable planet.”

Wesley Gibbings, Vice President of the Media Institute of the Caribbean discussed the role of the media in shaping public perceptions of migration and the importance of accurate and balanced reporting. He noted that statistically, there are more people migrating out of CARICOM countries than moving in.  He particularly highlighted the high rate of outward migration in critical fields such as education and nursing, impacting the availability of essential skills.   At the same time, the children, and grandchildren of people in the diaspora are interested in moving back, and there are new movements, including from Haiti, Venezuela, and West Africa.  In this complex environment he noted that regional policy will be especially important:

“That's why I am anxious to see what the CARICOM migration policy has to say on these matters. What does it have to say about specific sectors? The health sector; access to health, access to education, economic participation. To what extent can they be involved in developing and harnessing the wealth and potential of our countries? And I think that we need to more look increasingly at that.”

In her remarks at the end of the session, Michele Small-Bartley, Programme Manager, Youth Development at the CARICOM Secretariat indicated that the 9th episode of “Conversations on Migration in the Caribbean” had underscored the importance of public consultation in the policy-making process and highlighted several perspectives that needed to be considered.  

In noting the diverse generational perspectives on migration, the Programme Manager reflected on the urgency of formulating a regional migration policy and the significance of youth perspectives, which could drive future discussions and actions within CARICOM, thus fostering a holistic approach to regional development. 

“The CARICOM Secretariat has recognized the urgent need to harness the transformative potential of migration while mitigating its challenges and reinforcing CARICOM’s advocacy for increased freedom of movement.  As we seek to focus on our development as a Region, the formulation of migration policy becomes paramount at this juncture.” 

This regional migration policy, Small-Bartley said, will be a blueprint that harnesses the transformational potential of migration for sustainable development while allowing each Member State of CARICOM to address its own unique challenges.

This online panel discussion forms part of CARICOM's broader efforts to engage citizens in meaningful dialogue and ensure that migration policies are inclusive and reflective of the region's diverse needs. The event was financially supported by the European Union and its Building Migration Partnerships project being implemented by IOM Caribbean.  IOM’s Coordination Office in the Caribbean is providing technical support to the development of the regional migration policy, drawing on knowledge resources from the UN Network on Migration, including the International Labour Organization (ILO) and other UN organs, as part of efforts to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) within the framework of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).

For more information on the CARICOM regional migration policy and to stay updated on future events, please visit the CARICOM Secretariat's regional migration policy website.