CARICOM talks immigration in Guyana

Leaders from the CARICOM countries began their 30th summit this weekend in Georgetown, Guyana, with a varied agenda centered primarily on illegal immigration to and from CARICOM member nations. Many immigrants, including undocumented ones from Jamaica and Guyana, tend to move to Barbados and Antigua & Barbuda, where they are both exploited as cheap labor and discriminated against. The representatives of those two countries, for their part, railed against illegal immigration to their islands and the need to curb the flow.

The summit comes days after a total 53 Guyanese migrants were deported from Barbados since the government's recent crackdown.

At the weekend inaugural session, heads of state had the chance to given prepared remarks, and the annual Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC) was bestowed upon Percival Patterson, former prime minister of Jamaica, for his contributions to regional development.



Sources: Jamaica Gleaner, Latin American Tribune, Caricom.org