Government Senator Roshanna Trim has thrown her full support behind the Caribbean Community (Free Movement of Nationals) Bill, 2025, describing it as a vital step toward deepening regional inclusion and integration.
“Freedom of movement. It has to happen,” Trim declared recently as the Senate debated the bill, which seeks to allow citizens of Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Belize to live and work in Barbados.
Trim said the legislation provided a “structured, lawful process” that ensured Caribbean nationals entering Barbados would have access to necessary services while also contributing through taxes. She argued that Barbados already had “some of the best legislation in the region,” making it well-positioned to lead on regional integration.
Drawing on her personal experience, the Guyana-born senator gave an emotional account of what it was like growing up in Barbados as a child facing the threat of deportation.
She recalled a period when, under a former Democratic Labour Party (DLP) administration, there was a $75 bounty for individuals who reported Guyanese nationals living illegally on the island.
“I have lived here all my life and therefore I am a Barbadian,” she affirmed, adding that the country was now “repairing our reputation as leaders within the Caribbean Community.”
Senator Trim urged colleagues and the public to embrace the spirit of CARICOM unity, warning against hypocrisy.
“We cannot use the CARICOM flag and turn our backs on the Caribbean,” she asserted. “We need real action about what the Caribbean is supposed to be. Our development cannot be built on exclusion.”
Emphasising that the bill was more than just legislation, she said it reflected a broader vision of identity and belonging.
“This bill is about who we are as a Caribbean people,” Trim said. “We have to change the way that we think about ourselves.”
Calling on CARICOM to live up to its founding principles, the senator added: “If we truly believe in the Treaty of Chaguaramas, it has to be reflected by actions – not just by attending CARICOM conferences.” (HH)
