BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Barbados says it will accept the International Organization for Migration (IOM) offer to assist the island in developing a new immigration policy.
IOM’s Regional Director for Central and North America and the Caribbean (UN Migration), Michele Klein Solomon, offered technical assistance during talks with Home Affairs and Information Minister Wilfred Abrahams.
Abrahams said that Barbados is in the advanced stages of preparing new immigration and citizenship legislation, which would contain aspects of policy that deal with migration.
“We have a declining population. Now, that puts all of our structures at risk, and it is something that we have to address, but we have to address it in a comprehensive, meaningful, thought-out, and structured way. And that’s where you [IOM] come in…. I am pleased about the offer, and I will tell you upfront that we will happily accept assistance with the policy on migration,” Minister Abrahams stated.
The Regional Director explained the role and approach of the IOM, which involves supporting a government according to its priorities.
“Please, rest assured that we see our role as to support the government. We’re not here to bang you over the head and say you must do X, Y, and Z.
“We’re here to listen to you about your priorities and challenges and to bring the experiences that we’ve had by working with governments around the world and governments in the Caribbean, in particular, so that you can benefit from those exchanges,” Klein Solomon said.
The meeting also discussed several other issues, including migration governance indicators, climate change migration, and the situation in Haiti.
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