Statement from the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs clarifying CARICOM's position on the free
movement of journalists and skilled workers
No agreement on Right to
Work in CARICOM
In light of the many ill-informed statements that have been made
recently about a CARICOM "agreement" on the free movement
of journalists and skilled workers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
wishes to clarify the CARICOM position.
First, there is no CARICOM "agreement" on the free movement
of journalists and skilled workers. Article 46 of the revised CARICOM
Treaty gives university graduates, media workers, sportspersons,
artistes and musicians from CARICOM countries the right "to
seek employment" in member states. It also allows member states
to establish appropriate legislative, administrative and procedural
arrangements to facilitate CARICOM nationals seeking employment.
In the case of Antigua and Barbuda, a Caribbean Community Skilled
Nationals Act was passed by Parliament in 1997 allowing university
graduates to seek employment from CARICOM countries that have entered
a reciprocal arrangement with Antigua and Barbuda.
Only four countries have enacted legislation allowing for movement
of media workers, sportspersons, artistes and musicians. These
countries are Belize, Guyana, Jamaica and St Vincent and The Grenadines.
However, in each case local laws have to be respected including,
if the law requires, the necessity for a work permit.
Therefore, the suggestion that the removal of Barbadian journalist
Julius Gittens from Antigua and Barbuda by the Commissioner of
Labour was a violation of a CARICOM agreement on the free movement
of journalists, either in spirit or letter, is false. There is
no such agreement. In any event, Mr Gittens was not removed because
he was a journalist; he was removed because he breached the laws
of Antigua and Barbuda and, in addition, treated public officials
of the Ministry of Labour and the Immigration Department with contempt.
The circumstances of the removal of Mr Gittens involved much more
than the payment of a EC$10.00 fee and was of such a nature as
to be unacceptable in any country.
Second, contrary to the claim that Protocol II to the CARICOM
Treaty caters for the free movement of people, the reality is that
it provides for the establishment of businesses, the provision
of certain financial services and the movement of capital. Those
who claim that it caters for the free movement of people are ill-informed.
Third, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda has gone far beyond
any other CARICOM country in issuing work permits to CARICOM nationals
whether they are skilled or not. By administrative procedures in
the year 2001 alone 4,216 work permits were issued to CARICOM nationals
constituting more than 8% of the total Antigua and Barbuda population
and approximately 30% of the entire work force. Of that number
38 are from Barbados.
No other country in CARICOM has issued as many work permits to
CARICOM nationals either in volume terms or as a percentage of
the total population. Therefore, the people of Antigua and Barbuda
would be justified in strongly objecting to any suggestion that
the country has breached the "spirit" of Protocol II
or the revised CARICOM Treaty. Indeed, quite the contrary is true:
Antigua and Barbuda's actions should be an example to others.
11th February 2002
St John's
Antigua and Barbuda
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