Whether in response to seasonal changes, variation in food supply, threat to one’s safety, or to seek work and other economic opportunities, people have migrated from one environment to another since the time we wandered the earth as nomads. Movement is in the nature of our species, and people will continue to migrate across imposed boundaries in search of a better life. As we acknowledge and ultimately accept this tendency, hopefully we will move towards a world of transnational citizenship and increasing soft-border policies to alleviate problems surrounding the rights of the undocumented, along with the lack of accountability inherent in undocumented immigration. Until then, undocumented immigration will continue to be a complicated issue not only in Barbados, but also everywhere around the world, and it is not an issue that can be looked at in isolation.

Immigration policy is entangled with the notion of sovereignty. Sovereignty has to do with jurisdiction over the territory and boundaries of a nation and the right to make laws, including the right to determine who is a citizen and who enters the country. But sovereignty is also a concept that continually evolves as our global economy becomes more and more interconnected.

Although there is a growing consensus in the global community to lift border controls for the flow of capital, information, and other services to further globalization, when it comes to immigrants and refugees, the idea of complete sovereignty still reigns. Nevertheless, every nation has been transformed by the implementation of laws and regulations necessary for economic globalization, and we must accept as a possibility that sovereignty itself has been transformed.

The major implication for immigration policy is the impact of these developments on state sovereignty, and it is no longer sufficient for nations to assert a sovereign role when implementing immigration policies. The fact is, considerable innovation in immigration policy is essential given the current transition to a global economy of integration, communication and globalization.

A radical rethinking of citizenship, hard-border policies, and current levels of sovereignty are therefore crucial in order to keep up with the changes of these transnational processes. Only then can the rights of undocumented immigrants be clearly defined and the problems of accountability with undocumented immigration be properly addressed.

Do undocumented immigrants have rights? Under current laws, all residents – citizens and non-citizens alike – have access to international human rights; they are not predicated on nationality. Likewise, a sovereign nation is accountable to all its residents on the basis of international human rights. As a sovereign nation, Barbados has the right to determine who can stay or who must leave. But a lack of transparency and accountability in the implementation of policies invariably leads to a lack of public trust, and the immigration policy recently implemented in Barbados raises many questions.

For starters, why doesn’t the new policy mention anything about non-CARICOM residents such as European and North American expatriates? Surely these undocumented immigrants affect the diminishing resources on the densely populated island just as much as Guyanese, yet the Guyanese population continues to be targeted by some media and law enforcement. Nations cannot have an immigration policy that facilitates the movement and well-being of some people at the expense of others, and it is integral that immigration policies be implemented with transparency.

Apart from this, it is the absence of clarity and certainty to the undocumented immigration issue that also causes fear to develop among immigrants. Undocumented immigration is a grey area because – by it’s very nature – it is undocumented. It is filled with deceptive statistics that promote xenophobia among citizens, and the topic often becomes a scapegoat for other problems affecting a nation.

In Barbados, it is claimed by some that increasing crime rates are a result of the rising numbers of undocumented immigrants. This is an absurd assertion since the Barbadian administration cannot even provide an accurate estimate of the size of the undocumented immigrant population. Indeed, the myth of the ‘criminal immigrant’ has been used as propaganda throughout history to perpetuate intolerance for immigrants and foster support for strict immigration policies.

Just how large is this undocumented population in Barbados anyway? Because undocumented immigrants are held in the shadows of society, largely unorganized and fearful of deportation, it is extremely difficult to measure and prove any statistics related to this group, much less a correlation between undocumented immigration and increasing crime rates.

Additionally, problems of access to employment increase the potential for tension between residents. Although Barbados currently stands as one of the most prosperous nations in the Caribbean, it is not immune to the global economic crisis and unemployment levels in Barbados have likewise been affected. Again, since there is no way to measure this allegation, there is no way we can assume undocumented immigrants are exclusively responsible for taking jobs Barbadians would otherwise hold. Although it is historically noted that undocumented immigrants affect the labor market resulting in cheaper labor, to place full blame on immigrants is to turn a blind eye on pandemic economic recession.

It is direly important that immigration policies be designed and implemented in a humane way that provides equal access to a path towards citizenship. No human being is illegal, and to bestow this term is dehumanizing. Those who migrate illegally are often some of the poorest residents of the community; they do not have the means, resources or time to attain citizenship legally. Some people are running for their lives, some are escaping religious persecution, and others have a family to feed. With no alternative, people risk everything they have in hopes for a better life.

The reality of refugees, displaced persons and other transnational migrants makes the case for trans-border policies and transnational citizenship rights. In an ever-changing world, our ideas of citizenship must follow suit to encompass the international human rights we are entitled to assert.

Given the current mobility of people, capital, commodities, ideas, and symbols, the enjoyment of civil and social rights should also be made possible for all residents. Because regardless of any implemented immigration policy, individuals will continue to migrate by any means necessary, legally or illegally.

Related articles:

1. Barbados announces amnesty for illegal CARICOM immigrants
2. Barbados presents new immigration policy for public review

Delaney Brown · California, USA

Currently residing north of San Francisco, CA, Delaney writes on issues that promote awareness of working to achieve peace, equality and sustainability. After graduating from USCB with a dual major in Law and Linguistics, Delaney is now involved in numerous professional and social causes as these underlying themes are embedded in countless world issues today.

delaney@antillean.org