The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) 3rd Council of Ministers for Immigration was successfully convened on 5 March 2025, at the Radisson Beach Resort, Grenada, under the Chairmanship of the Honourable Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Physical Development, Public Utilities, Civil Aviation and Transportation, National Security, Home Affairs, Public Administration, Information and Disaster Management.
In an environment where increasingly, international support for addressing border security needs is being withdrawn, this session of the Council of Ministers was very timely. Prime Minister Mitchell, drawing on this reality, called on colleague ministers to move with alacrity to implement measures that would collectively strengthen border security within national borders while consolidating the free movement of persons regime within the OECS Economic Union.
The Honourable Prime Minister affirmed, “Security concerns remain at the forefront of our efforts to allow for greater ease of movement. Within an environment of rising criminal activity, especially across our borders, there is an urgent need for legal and policy frameworks for addressing the occurrence of these ills. At today’s meeting, we have the opportunity to bring forward towards full implementation, the Caricom Arrest Warrant Treaty and the relevant Draft Bill that will strengthen data sharing across our border agencies.”
HE Dr Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS, emphasised the importance of cooperation in areas that would collectively make national borders safer while also contributing to more competitive economies. Dr Jules remarked: “We have begun using online embarkation and disembarkation (ED) forms, which is already improving our border procedures. We must continue expanding these automated systems to ensure all OECS Member States benefit from more streamlined, efficient, and secure entry and exit processes.”
The 3rd Council of Ministers for Immigration discussed a plethora of issues relevant to the free movement of persons within the OECS, including the requirements for full implementation of the OECS Contingent Rights Policy through the enactment of the draft Model Bill. The Model Bill is critical for putting into practice the Policy on Contingent Rights across OECS Member States to ensure that citizens of any OECS Protocol Member State can enjoy the same rights and opportunities in any other Protocol Member State. The legislation addresses gaps in current policy arrangements by ensuring that citizens who exercise their freedom of movement rights are granted equal access to essential services and benefits without discrimination based on nationality. Citizens of OECS Protocol Member States and their spouses and dependents are entitled to equal access to rights and freedoms, including employment, education, healthcare, social support and protection when they move between Protocol Member States to reside and work.
The endorsement of this Model Bill by Immigration Ministers is a key step forward toward the final approval by the OECS Authority and enactment in the Protocol Member States. Ministers of Immigration also endorsed an advocacy plan toward public advocacy as a measure to enhance public knowledge on contingent rights and the free movement of persons regime within the OECS.
The meeting received presentations from the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (Caricom IMPACS) regarding the Implementation of the Caricom Arrest Warrant Treaty and the Implementation of the Caricom Advance Passenger Information (API) Passenger Name Record (PNR) Model Bill, another crucial legislation that would assist Member States to share key passenger data.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) also provided an update on the UN Security Trust Fund Joint Programme and the Labour Migration Policy within the OECS Region. An update on the Cartagena plus 40 process was also provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
In the main, the Council of Ministers, inter alia:
- Reaffirmed their support for the full implementation of the free movement of persons regime with the desire to support the accelerated implementation of the OECS Policy on Rights Contingent on the Right to Freedom of Movement. This Policy provides citizens with the right to indefinite stay, work and access social and economic services without discrimination in all participating Member States
- Endorsed measures to enhance the capacity building of border security personnel and OECS Member States response to the impact of environmental disasters on the movement of persons and Reaffirmed the desire to support the implementation of the OECS Ministerial Declaration which called for strategic responses to addressing environmental disasters
- Reaffirmed the desire to urgently implement the CARICOM Arrest Warrant Treaty and Model Bill to strengthen the ability of law enforcement and border officials to return persons evading judicial actions. Alongside this measure, Ministers also Agreed to support the enactment of the API and PNR legislation to empower border officials to receive timely and accurate data on passengers within the Caricom and OECS regions
Prime Minister Mitchell congratulated Montserrat for accepting the Chairmanship of the Council of Ministers and pledged Grenada’s continued support for the full implementation of the OECS Economic Union and advancing initiatives that strengthen national and regional border security.
The following officials represented the OECS Member States:
- Honourable Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Physical Development, Public Utilities, Civil Aviation and Transportation, National Security, Home Affairs, Public Administration, Information and Disaster Management, Grenada
- Dr The Honourable Natalio D Wheatley, Premier of the British Virgin Islands
- Honourable Rayburn Blackmore, Minister for National Security and Legal Affairs, Commonwealth of Dominica
- Honourable Jeremiah Norbert, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Home Affairs, Crime Prevention, and Persons with Disabilities, St Lucia
- Honourable Crenston Buffonge, Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Premier, Montserrat
- Hildred Simpson, Permanent Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs and Immigration, representing the Honourable Steadroy Olivero Benjamin, of Antigua and Barbuda
- Glenroy Blanchette, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of National Security, representing Prime Minister the Honourable Dr Terrance Drew, St Kitts and Nevis
- Lou-Ann Thomas, Permanent Secretary (Ag.), Ministry of National Security, representing Prime Minister, The Honourable Dr Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines
OECS
