News & Current Affairs, CARICOM Affairs - Thursday, May 28, 2009 15:47

Barbados signs visa waiver with European Union

By Antillean, News Monitor Service

Officials from Barbados, the Bahamas, St. Kitts & Nevis and Antigua & Barbuda met with E.U. counterparts today in Brussels to officially waive visa requirements between their respective states¹.

The new visa regime provides for visa-free travel for EU citizens (excluding those from Britain and Ireland) when travelling to these four territories, as well as for citizens of these countries when travelling to the EU for a period not exceeding three months during a six-month period.

To qualify for visa-free travel, citizens from the EU and the countries concerned must be in possession of valid ordinary, diplomatic or official passport. Visa-free travel applies to all categories of persons and for any travel purpose (ie., tourism, cultural visits, scientific activities, family visits, business etc.), except for persons carrying out a paid activity.

The EU and the six countries will apply the visa waiver agreements on a provisional basis from May 28, 2009, pending completion of official procedures.

Barbados recently announced an immigration amnesty for illegal Caribbean immigrants, with a renewed deportation push beginning December 1, 2009. Government however stopped short of applying this immigration control policy to European and non Caribbean nationals.

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Antillean · Bridgetown, Barbados

The Antillean is a pan-Caribbean nonprofit media outlet, covering news, features and opinions on social issues in the Caribbean region and the wider Americas. Our mission is to encourage conversation on, and enhance the visibility of, social currencies within the hemisphere – issues which are often underreported in the mainstream media.

info@antillean.org

10 Comments

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Proud Bajan from Saint Michael, Barbados
May 28, 2009 17:28

There is a reason why a waiver like this would never be extended to some other CARICOM member states. Does anyone know why? It is good to know that the waiver is in place but this and every other one like it is in jeopardy if we give Barbados passports to illegals just because they are ‘our Caribbean brothers and sisters’.

Jay from Massachusetts, United States
May 28, 2009 18:19

You’re exactly right,Proud Bajan.The Europeans are even more rigorous with their immigration protocols than we Bajans.The horror that you have to go through to get a schengen visa is mind boggling,& is even more strict than US procedures since the EU people require every single visa holder to even have insurance when visiting.

Marcus from Saint Michael, Barbados
May 28, 2009 18:54

This can be easily taken away if abused, so it is important to maintain our own border security and ensure that anybody who can ever claim to have a Barbados passport behaves like a civilized person within other people’s borders.

Schengen visas are hard to even come by, so this is a massive show of trust by the EU. Hopefully Bahamas, Antigua and St Kitts also live up to the mandate and don’t make it bad for us.

Marcus from Saint Michael, Barbados
May 28, 2009 18:55

Ironically, Antigua is also rounding up CARICOM migrants like flies and throwing them on planes.

barspecs from Saint Michael, Barbados
May 28, 2009 21:07

BDP: It would be more accurate to say that Barbados recently announced an amnesty for illegal Caricom immigrants who meet the terms of the amnesty requirements, but stopped short of extending this amnesty to European and non-Caricom nationals.

BDP from Saint Michael, Barbados
May 28, 2009 21:34

Duly noted.

Wanderer from Saint Michael, Barbados
May 28, 2009 23:38

Is BDP suggesting that the focus on Caribbean nationals and not Euros is because of this? Or at least, saying that it would be political suicide to be anti European and deport them en masse? (I might agree).

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May 29, 2009 8:28

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May 29, 2009 10:25

[...] Bajan Dream Diary reports that “Barbadians travelling to the European Union will no longer need to obtain the [...]

bluechilli from Nottingham, United Kingdom
Jun 8, 2009 13:33