David Comissiong, Barbados' Ambassador to CARICOM, said his Government had been forced to reconsider its decision to allow the free movement of Haitian nationals WITHOUT VISA https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24722-haiti-flash-barbados-abolished-visas-for-haitians.html because of a very important flow of Haitian nationals coming from Haiti, Panama and Chile which arrived on the island and who are not allowed to work...

The lack of explanation to the Haitian people about the visa-free travel program, falsely suggesting to Haitians that they could simply come to Barbados to work and live there, many of them found themselves stranded on the island, provoking negative reactions from the local population.

Recall that the program of free movement allows a Haitian (or any other member of the Caricom) to stay 6 months only with his passport, in the 15 member countries of Caricom: Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago) proved that they have sufficient financial resources to live for a period of 6 months, without becoming a burden for the country visited but gives no right to work or stay beyond 6 months.

Comissiong said that Haitians can only work and live in Barbados if they qualify under the Caricom Skilled Nationals Program or the Right of Establishment Program.

The Ambassador said, "We communicated that to the Haitian Government, and they understand that Barbados' heart is with them, but we were compelled to make the change". He recalled that when Barbados removed the visa requirement, almost simultaneously, the airline COPA began two flights a week from Panama "Those flights out of Panama then became available to Haitians — Haitians coming from Haiti itself, and also Haitians coming from Chile, where there is a large Haitian Diaspora and those two weekly flights into Barbados came to be dominated by Haitian travellers."

The Diplomat admitted that Barbados had the legal responsibility to admit Haitians as any other citizen of Caricom on its territory, and indicated that the immigration service would accommodate any Haitian who legitimately wants to come to Barbados. "I can tell you any Haitian who legitimately needs to come to Barbados will have no problem with getting a visa, or even getting permission to come into Barbados and to be granted a visa at the airport, so we will seek to accommodate our Haitian brothers and sisters as much as possible."

Recall that most Caricom countries, if not all, have imposed various restrictions on Haitians

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25982-haiti-flash-free-movement-without-visa-in-the-countries-of-caricom-for-haitians-under-condition.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24859-haiti-flash-caricom-examines-the-free-movement-of-haitians.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24722-haiti-flash-barbados-abolished-visas-for-haitians.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23683-haiti-flash-free-movement-of-haitians-in-the-caricom-countries.html

S/ HaitiLibre