Six months of Amnesty for illegal Immigrants in Barbados
Prime Minister David Thompson of Barbados
Illegal Immigrants in Barbados given 6 months to legalize
their status.
Illegal immigrants in Barbados have been given a six
months amnesty to become regularized.
"With effect from 1st June 2009, all undocumented CARICOM
nationals who entered Barbados prior to 31st December 2005
and remained undocumented for a period of eight years or
more, are required to come forward and have their status
regularized", said Mr. David Thompson during a parliamentary
sitting in the Lower House yesterday.
This move follow a series of recommendations by a
subcommittee on immigration from June of 2008. The committee
said that Barbados' level of immigration is unacceptably
high, and difficult to control.
Mr. Thompson said this process will be totally transparent
and that those who are eligible must also fit other
criteria.
These criteria are as follows:
A. An application for immigration status together with all
supporting documents must be submitted to the immigration
department within the next six months, that is by 1st
December, 2009.
B. Applicant must be able to substantiate his claim that
he/she has been residing in Barbados for at least eight
years.
C. Applicant must be currently employed, and provide
evidence of employment
D. The Spouse or child of an applicant of an employed
applicant can also apply.
Opposition leader of Barbados Miss Mia Mottley
asked the question of the "Protocol on Contingency Rights"
for non CARICOM national who are illegal in Barbados, as
these rights allow for benefits to be given to CARICOM
living in Barbados.
Mr. Norman Faria of the Guyana Honorary Consul in Barbados, said
in a statement that he had received many calls from Guyanese
since the statement by the Prime Minister.
This recent move by the Government is believed to gain
control over any scourge of
human
trafficking on the island, as some reports were made of
Guyanese living in deplorable conditions, and were being
underpaid relative to their Barbadian counterparts.
It is also believed that this move comes at a time when
Barbados is preparing for
census 2010, and has therefore given the illegal
immigrants amnesty to become regularized so an accurate
count can be made as to the amount of persons on the island
in order to cater to such things as housing, medical and
educational services.
