CARICOM Summit | Gonzalves pleased that CARICOM has accepted free movement right of Haitians

Dr Ralph Gonzalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, says he's pleased that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has accepted a legal opinion that outlines the right of Haitians to an automatic six-month stay within the regional bloc.

The legal opinion, which was prepared by CARICOM’s Office of the General Counsel, was endorsed by the Legal Affairs Committee.

It outlined that,  “Based on the law set out in (Shanique) Myrie v The State of Barbados, and on the fact that the Republic of Haiti is a party to the Revised Treaty, and in the absence of a reservation by Haiti excluding participation in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), it was advised that Haitian nationals, as Community nationals, are entitled to an automatic stay of six months.”

Addressing journalists this morning at the 39th CARICOM Heads of Government Summit underway in Montego Bay, St James, Gonzalves said he's glad that the dispute has been settled.

“We have accepted their advice that Haiti is a full member in all the instruments of the integration movement and that the same arrangements that are available for labour, [and the] movement of people from Jamaica, from St Vincent, applies to Haiti. The same 10 categories, the same six months,” he underscored.

He added, “Haiti is a member of the Caribbean Community and I’m very glad that this grey area has finally been resolved in relation to the movement of persons, not the complete free movement because that doesn’t exist. That exists between various OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States) countries”.

Grenada had objected to the entitlement stating, among other things, that Haiti did not participate in the negotiation of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

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