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Antigua approves free movement of CARICOM nationals
Thursday, 18 October 2007 in
CBC
The Antigua and Barbuda Parliament has approved the
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Skilled Nationals (Amendment)
Act removing one of the last legal hurdles to the free
movement of specific categories of Caribbean nationals
through the region.
Antigua was the only CARICOM
country not to complete the legislative agenda required to
permit university graduates, sportsmen, artistes, skilled
nationals and journalists to move freely throughout the
region under the provisions of the CARICOM Single Market (CSM)
which was signed into operation last year.
Labour Minister Dr Jacqui
Quinn Leandro, in introducing the legislation, told
parliamentarians that the measure would fulfil the islands
obligations under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and
paves the way for the free movement of five categories of
workers.
The Antigua and Barbuda law
did not fully comply with the provisions of Articles 45 and
46 of the Treaty. So under those circumstances, the Labour
department, discontinued the processing of applications for
all persons who were seeking to obtain a local skilled
certificate, Quinn-Leandro said.
The Ministry of Labour has
been practically inundated with requests by CARICOM
nationals to recognise the skilled nationals certificate and
today Mr Speaker this government is very happy and very
honoured to begin that process of making the law fully
operational, she added.
Among the principal changes
are the insertion of a definition for a dependent and
provisions for undesirables including deportees and those
infected with dangerous diseases.
Attorney General Justin Simon
told parliament that incorporating the specific categories
of nationals into the revised legislation brings the country
in line with the rest of the region.
We are the last bringing in
those categories, Simon said.
After the process is
complete, then the right of entry, re-entry and staying here
is indefinite so those provisions occur in the respective
legislations of the various CARICOM territories so we are
simply following suit and ensuring that we have like
provisions, he said.
The bill now goes to the
Senate and after its passage there would facilitate the free
movement of university graduates, media workers, sports
persons, artistes and musicians throughout participating
countries, provided that they are in a possession of a
skilled nationals certificate from their home country.
The Labour Minister told
legislators that there should not be fearful of unskilled or
semi-skilled labour coming to the island.
The idea, Mr Speaker, is that
we are seeking to strengthen the economic prospects of the
Caribbean Community and the emphasis here is on the movement
of skills, not the movement of people. I think the
distinction needs to me made here," she said.
Antigua came under regional
scrutiny earlier this year when it expelled two regional
journalists who authorities said did not have work permits. |
