The Third Meeting of the OECS Council of Ministers for Immigration Convened to Discuss measures to Strengthen Border Security and Consolidate Freedom of Movement

March 6, 2025 – The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Third Council of Ministers for Immigration was successfully convened on March 5, 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In an environment where increasingly, international support for addressing border security needs is being withdrawn, this session of the Council of Ministers was very timely.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 that “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.”

H.E. Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS, emphasized 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 Third 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 Organization 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:

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;