OUR CARIBBEAN: Justice call for migrants in Caricom

Published on: 12/31/2009.


by RICKEY SINGH

THE CALL LAST WEEK by the general secretary of the Barbados Workers' Union (BWU), Senator Sir Roy Trotman, to stop "the exploitation of migrant workers" should resonate in the Cabinet of Prime Minister David Thompson and the councils of the umbrella bodies speaking for the business sector and labour unions.

Since, however this is more than a problem or challenge for Barbados, the concerns expressed by Sir Roy, a former president of the Caribbean Congress of Labour, should also engage, as a matter of regional importance, the labour movement, employers organisations and, of course, governments in all Caribbean Community states.

Read full article here.

Jamaica facing exodus of young professionals

(Jamaica Gleaner) Several young professionals in the public and private sectors are warning that a spate of mass migration is on the horizon if the Government does not clean up its act and roll back the new tax package.

Charmaine Murray, a registered nurse at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), argued that the country would suffer from increased brain drain, particularly in the nursing and teaching professions, as a result of the two-year wage freeze and an increase in taxation on basic food items.

“Migration is a must!” the 27-year-old told The Sunday Gleaner recently. Murray has been working at the KPH for the past three years and said it was no longer a question of whether she would be leaving the island, but when.

Read full article here.

"Climigrants" - a new word to wrap our heads around

I was recently reading Ian Jack's column in the Guardian weekend edition (12.12.09) where he wrote "In Bangladesh itself, at least 20 million people are predicted to be displaced by rising sea levels within the next 40 years; nowhere else in the world do so many people face such an immediate future as climate refugees: "climigrants". He went on to say that Bangladesh's Finance Minister, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith wants international law to define this new category of refugee, "the climate refugee, so that their migration to the UK and elsewhere could be managed". Mr. Muhith went on to say that Bangladesh could play their part by assisting the 'climigrants' by offering training to "make them fit for existence in another country".


In the same Guardian ediiton, Aida Edemariam interviewed Dame Anne Owens, the chief inspector of prisons in the UK. Dame Anne's report noted that UK immigration removal centres sedate detainees without consent, use force unnecessarily and detain children for more than 28 days in short term holding facilities.


The world is struggling with economic refugees, refugees from war, famine and persecution. Certainly, in the Caribbean, many of the insular islands are struggling with fellow CARICOM nationals who are migrating from one territory to another, whether it's the DR, the Bahamas, Antigua or Barbados.

We can barely manage the current migration of people around the world - how will we deal with this new kind of migrant, the climigrant?

A little humour - Thanks to British Airways!

Johannesburg, South Africa & London ..


A white woman, about 50 years old, was seated next to a

black man.

Very disturbed by this, she called the air hostess. 'You

obviously do not see it then?' she asked. 'You placed me next to a

black man.

I did not agree to sit next to someone from such a repugnant

group. Give me an alternative seat.'

'Be calm please,' the hostess replied.

'Almost all the places on this flight are taken. I will go to

see if another place is available.'

The hostess went away and then came back a few minutes later.

'Madam,just as I thought, there are no other available seats in Economy

Class.

I spoke to the captain and he informed me that there is also

no seat in Business Class. All the same, we still have one place in

First Class..'

Before the woman could say anything, the hostess continued.

'It is not usual for our company to permit someone from Economy

Class to sit in First Class. However, given the circumstances, the

captain feels that it would be scandalous to make someone sit next to someone so disgusting.'

She turned to the black guy, and said, 'Therefore, Sir, if

you would like to, please collect your hand luggage, a seat awaits

you in First Class.'

At that moment, the other passengers, who'd been shocked by

what they had just witnessed, stood up and applauded.

This is a true story.

WELL DONE, British Airways

Guyana will be among beneficiaries of CARICOM development fund

By Stabroek staff | June 8, 2009 in Local News

Guyana is among eight CARICOM member states who will be the first beneficiaries of grants, interest subsidies and concessionary loans through the Barbados-based CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) which has started a series of consultative missions designed to make the organisation responsive to these states.

According to a CARICOM Secretariat press release, the other member states are Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Belize.

Meanwhile, CDF Chief Executive Officer Lorne McDonnough led a three-person delegation to St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Tuesday to inform of the CDFs role, mandate and progress.

Ambassador Mcdonnough and his team will continue to meet Heads of Government, government officials, private sector and non-government stakeholders in the member states.

The missions along with the results of a subsequent European funded Needs Assessment Study will guide the CDF’s areas of focus and interventions during its first funding cycle.

This round of missions is expected to conclude with a visit to Belize commencing June 26 and similar consultations will be mounted in the remaining member states at a later date.

The CARICOM Develo- pment Fund was established under Article 158 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguar- amas to address the disadvantages arising from the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) process.

Let's stop the nurse brain drain

Published on: 12/13/2009.


THE CONTRIBUTION of local nurses to Barbadian society is very well known, but there has been a certain ambivalence towards the profession by many who sometimes seem to regard these professionals as carriers of bedpans and changers of bandages only.

It is an ambivalence which appears to affect some other societies too, so that the exodus of nurses from their countries of original training to greener pastures has become an issue of international importance.

During the past week, the inaugural Meeting Of Nursing And Midwifery Educators was held here at PAHO headquarters, and the issue occupied a prominent place in the discussions, especially in a very important speech delivered on behalf of Minister of Health Donville Inniss.

Read full article here.

Criminal deportees as mentors

Published on: 12/11/2009.


THE APPARENT INCREASE in deviant and sometimes downright criminal behaviour by some of our youngsters has been the subject of many a study by various experts and others, who have exerted what has been an almost benign influence on those who have forsaken or never chosen the straight and narrow road.

The church, the school and parents have all had to take their lashes as society has apportioned a share of blame on each of these groups; and each in turn has tried what Bajans used to call "their level best" to bring the situation under control. Now, there is a new and different effort under way which one hopes will produce better results, and succeed in its bid to keep youngsters away from a life of crime.

This new effort is spearheaded by a group calling itself Youth Action Programme, and what is different is that its promoters are deportees from the United States who have been sent back here because of their participation in a life of crime which has led them to end up in American prisons.

Read full article here.

Alleged immigration scam in Antigua

(Antigua Sun) – Latchman Bhola and Zeena Moonasar, both of Guyana, who are alleged to be involved in a scam where a number of people were issued with fake immigration stamps, have again been denied bail.

The duo, who is on remand at Her Majesty’s Prison, appeared before Magistrate Keith Thom in the St John’s Magistrates’ Court last week.

Moonasar’s attorney, George Lake, in applying for bail for his client said the woman has resided in Antigua for a number of years.

Lake said that the mere fact that she has resided in the country for the requisite number of years, it is her right to be entitled to be granted time in the country.

Read full article here.

Panday wants answers on US visas

Carolyn Kissoon South Bureau

Wednesday, December 9th 2009 Trinidad Express



Leader of the Opposition, Basdeo Panday, yesterday called upon Foreign Affairs Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon to find out why legitimate non-immigrant visa applicants continue to be blanked at the United States Embassy without explanation.

He said the US Embassy in Port of Spain should clearly state its criteria for rejection or acceptance of applicants for visas.

Panday said it was time the Minister meet officials at the US Embassy to have the matter resolved.

Panday was responding to an exclusive report in the Express detailing the findings of a report done by the US State Department on the operations at the local embassy.

The report found that non-immigrant visa workers at the embassy were being trained up to February this year, to refuse visas to certain groups of applicants.

Among those who were being refused-pregnant women, women who already had a child in the US, and locals working with multinational corporation and going to America for job training.

Panday said: ’While it is recognised that a sovereign country has a right to determine who should enter its territory, such a right should be exercised with empathy in this global village, that is today’s world. Many of our citizens have families in the United States given the long history of our movement between the two countries.’

He said although it was their right to do so, the US Embassy was discriminating against those with families in the United States who were sick, dead or dying.

’This amounts to an act of cruelty,’ he said.

’One understands that US clamping down in the post-9/11 period and the calamities that have faced not only in America, but worldwide. However, it is insulting that dignified people in our society are being treated as if they were drug mules and criminals at the US Embassy here or when they arrive on American soil,’ Panday said.

CARICOM loses to movement of nurses

Published on: 12/7/2009.


EMIGRATION of nurses is costing some CARICOM countries an estimated US$16 million in losses.
This cost accounts for training and retraining people to replace those nurses who leave for greener pastures.
Chief Nursing Officer Mitchell Clarke made the disclosure yesterday while delivering a speech on behalf of Minister of Health Donville Inniss at the inaugural meeting on Nursing And Midwifery Education In The CARICOM Region.
It was held at the Pan American Health Organisation’s headquarters, Dayrells Road, Christ Church, under the theme: Towards An Action Plan To Build Capacity For Nursing And Midwifery Education.
“The migration of professionals is an increasing problem for some member states of the CARICOM region. Globalisation has led to even greater mobility of health professionals and opportunities for employment.
“Caribbean countries have estimated losses of US$16 million in training and retraining costs to replace the human capital lost to emigration. In order to address this worldwide shortage of nurses, governments and professional organisations must find creative ways of making the profession more attractive,” Clarke said.
He said Government had embarked on a programme to increase the enrolment of nurses in training at the Barbados Community College on an annual basis. In addition, he disclosed that the Nursing Council of Barbados recently evaluated the general nursing programme and the findings would be given shortly to stakeholders. The report of the task force had been submitted, he added, and discussions on the way forward would be held soon.
Clarke pointed out that nurses played a multi-disciplinary role in the delivery of healthcare and attention would be paid to training in areas like gerontology, paediatrics and critical care nursing.
The new Nurses Bill, Rules and Regulations, 2008, reflected the innovative changes recently made in the Ministry of Health to upgrade the regulation of the nursing profession, said Clarke.
“I wish to highlight here the provision in the regulation for the reduction in the age of entry into nursing from 18 years to 16 years,” he said. “This provision would ensure that younger persons desirous of pursuing a career in nursing are not restricted from doing so, and eventually lost to other disciplines.” (MR)

BARBADOS: Thompson says removal policy will only be implemented after amnesty

CARIBBEAN DAILY NEWS

Posted by admin on 11/20/09 • Categorized as Barbados, Immigration

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Prime Minister David Thompson has warned that his government is ready to press ahead with the deportation of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nationals residing in Barbados illegally once the six-month amnesty for regularising their status expires at the end of the year.

Thompson, speaking to reporters during a nationally broadcast press conference Thursday evening, assured however that no one had been removed from the country under the guise of the amnesty since it was announced in May.

He said the process has been moving slower than anticipated due to problems stemming from the issuing of police certificates of character for those applying for the amnesty but that once that hurdle is cleared, his government’s new immigration policy will kick in with full force in the New Year.

“When the amnesty period is over on December 31, then the sanctions, if you want to call it that, or the second part of the policy then kicks in, which is the removal of those who are here illegally. Nothing has changed,” the Prime Minister said.

“That is still the government’s policy,” he added.

Thompson, who has direct responsibility for immigration matters, said the government has received roughly 300 applications for the amnesty.

He explained that around 6,000 applications for regular immigrant status and citizenship had also created a backlog at the Immigration Department but that those requests would have to be considered under the normal processing procedures.

The Prime Minister said his administration’s Green Paper on Immigration has only raised concerns and not settled policy – something that still has to happen.

“However, once a decision is made, there will be a rigorous implementation of our immigration policy. I’ve said so from the beginning and I remain absolutely committed to that particular objective. I am firm on that,” he said.

Pregnant? No US visa

Camille Bethel cbethel@trinidadexpress.com

Monday, December 7th 2009



Non-immigrant visa officers working out of the United States Embassy in Port of Spain were being trained, up to February of this year, to refuse visas to certain groups of applicants.

Among those who had virtually no chance of getting a visa were pregnant women, women who already had a child in the US, and locals going to America for job training.

The actions of the US Embassy officials were illegal, according to an internal inspection done by the US State Department’s Office of the Inspector General. The visa officers were told to follow US visa application laws.

The investigation was done over a two-week period from late January. The inspection took place shortly after former US ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago Roy Austin completed his tenure.

The report, deemed ’sensitive but unclassified’, was published on the State Department’s website several months ago.

The embassy’s public affairs officer, Matthew Cassetta, told the Express that, since the report was written, State Department officials had visited and ’found that everything is functioning as it should in the consulate’.

The report detailed the daily operations of the embassy and commented on its strengths and weaknesses. The reported stated, ’Consular section management currently teaches non-immigrant visa officers to refuse visas to certain categories of applicants who should not be refused under visa law.’

It stated, ’Of special sensitivity are routine refusals for newly hired employees of known local and American companies going to the United States for training. These knee-jerk refusals have damaged relations with those companies, many of which do daily business with the embassy.’

The report found that consular management argued that applicants just out of school and/or starting first jobs ’are poor candidates for full-validity visas because they might leave those jobs and stay illegally in the US’.

’However, section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act clearly states that, ’every alien’ shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer, at the time of application for admission, that he is entitled to a non-immigrant status’, the investigators stated.

’Further,... if you determine an applicant is qualified under the law for a visa, that decision should apply to future trips as well. Suspicion that an alien, after admission, may be swayed to remain in the United States because of more favourable living conditions is not a sufficient ground to refuse a visa as long as the alien’s current intent is to return to a foreign residence,’ the report stated.

The inspectors stated that immigration officers should issue a visa based on an applicant’s travel intentions and not what the application might do in future.

Last week Cassetta responded to the report. He stated, ’As an internal document, the report speaks for itself and thus we must limit our comments. It is important to note that the section, of the report, on consular operations opens by stating that the embassy serves as a model for effective consular management.

’Consistent with policy, the embassy in Port of Spain and all diplomatic missions overseas are constantly reviewing procedures and practices to assure uniformity and fairness.’

He stated, ’Since the report was written, the embassy has been visited by several officials from the US State Department’s Consular Bureau. They have found that everything is functioning as it should in the consulate.’


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