by staff writer
ROSEAU, Dominica, Sept 29, CMC – Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, Monday, said that he remains hopeful that other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries will join Barbados, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Belize “so that we can realize the full promise of a true Caribbean Community”.
The four CARICOM countries will, from October 1, implement free movement among themselves, a significant aspect of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) that allows for the free movement of goods, skills, labour, and services across the region.
Prime Minister Skerrit told a news conference that on Wednesday, Dominica will join the other three CARICOM countries “in taking a decisive step forward on a matter that has been on the regional agenda for decades”
He said that by implementing the full free movement of CARICOM nationals from these countries, “it means that participating states will grant their nationals the right to move freely, reside, work, and remain indefinitely in the four member states without the need for a residency permit or a work permit.
“They will have the right to access public primary and secondary education as well as emergency health care and primary health care services. The required legislative, security, and administrative measures to support this free movement will be implemented in the participating member states.”
Skerrit said that free movement “allows us to fill gaps in critical areas, while giving our own citizens greater access to opportunities across the region. It is a win-win for all”.
He acknowledged that there may be concerns about security or about the impact on jobs, saying, “Let me assure you, our systems of cooperation, vetting, and regional security will remain strong.
“We are not lowering our guard. What we are doing is removing unnecessary barriers that have, for too long, held back our collective progress. I am hopeful that other CARICOM Member States will soon join us in this historic step, so that we can realize the full promise of a true Caribbean Community.”
Skerrit told his fellow Dominicans to “embrace this change with an open mind.
“Learn as much as you can about what free movement means, and the opportunities it can bring for you and your families,” he added.
Earlier this month, the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said that by implementing the full free movement regime, the four countries have agreed to grant their nationals the right to enter, leave, and re-enter, move freely, reside, work, and remain indefinitely in the receiving member state, without the need for a work or residency permit.
It said that the nationals of these countries will also be able to access emergency and primary health care, and public primary and secondary education, within the means of the receiving member state.
“This free movement arrangement falls within the new Enhanced Cooperation Chapter of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. Under that Chapter, the Conference of CARICOM Heads can allow groups of at least three Member States to seek to advance integration among themselves where the Conference agrees that the targeted objectives cannot be attained within a reasonable period by the Community as a whole.”
CMC/cr/ir/2025