This is particularly significant following the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl. Thousands of people are still without electricity, and many are in temporary shelters in St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.
These were the concerns shared by Ms Alison Drayton, Assistant Secretary-General, Caricom Secretariat, at the opening session of a workshop to design a migration policy framework that accurately reflects the needs and ambitions of the People of the Caribbean Community.
The Caricom Secretariat and the Caricom Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), celebrated a workshop themed “Towards a Regional Approach to a Migration Policy in the Caribbean-Realizing A Shared Vision,” in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
This activity involves National Focal Points (NFPs) from the Caricom Member States and representatives of relevant regional and international organizations engaging in dialogue to craft the regional migration policy framework.
Addressing the NFPs and participants, Ms Drayton underscored the role that climate change plays in migration.
“It is evident that the Region has been facing, and will continue to face, various challenges that affect the lives and livelihoods of Caribbean citizens, namely due to climate change, which has amplified displacements and the need for persons to migrate from areas that threaten their livelihoods or limit their opportunities to prosper and provide for their families,” stated the ASG.
“In fact, climate change and natural disasters remain key drivers of displacements in the Region with the frequency and magnitude of events likely to increase in the future. This has contributed to many regional states facing demographic decline, which has impacted their workforce, our younger population seeking job opportunities outside the Region, and many key sectors being negatively impacted.”
However, she observed that mitigating this challenge would be “a tall order.” The Assistant Secretary-General reiterated the Community’s commitment to work with the NFPs and other stakeholders involved in implementing a “forward-thinking regional migration policy” that would help address various aspects of regional migration and human mobility as determined by Member State priorities.
She expressed her gratitude to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for hosting the workshop and noted the valuable technical contributions made by the United Nations Migration Group and financial contributions from the United States Department of State, the European Union, and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Ms Drayton also acknowledged the significant contribution made by IOM, which has been supporting the advancement of the policy by providing consultancies to coordinate the Community’s work through the Regional Approach to Migration Policy (RAMP) Steering Committee and development of the framework.
