Editorial on Illegal Workers in Barbados

[Errigal]

From the Barbados Sunday Sun
March 16, 2008

A tight squeeze with illegal workers
Guest Column
Shakira Edwards

SOMETHING is disturbingly wrong when, in this fair land of ours, a return flight does not return for its passengers. When visitors left stranded on the island are denied extensions to their stay and, when these visitors turn illegal workers, this can openly invite their countrymen to come and find work in Barbados while some of our able-bodied young men squander their youth on the block.

The Ghanaians have found Barbados quite impressive. I wonder what they find more impressive - the enforcement of our immigration law, the indifference of employers to hiring illegal workers or the laissez-faire attitude of organisations and individuals that invite non-nationals to explore Barbados as they like.

Obvious move

I imagine that when this inaugural flight from Ghana was arranged, a return flight was an obvious part of the package. How does an airline simply not return? Is this what we're to expect from future flights from Africa? Furthermore, from all the fanfare that greeted this flight, this African "visit" was billed as a strengthening of ties between Africa and Barbados.

Nothing was implied that we were importing African workers.

And when will employers in Barbados stop contributing to a problem that could easily spiral out of control?
I get the very clear impression that these Ghanaians do not intend to return to Ghana. Yes, they indicated they needed to go back and tell Ghanaians to come and find work in Barbados. But quite frankly, in this technological age we live in, a simple phone call or e-mail will do the trick. No need to board a flight that won't show up.

I am not picking on the Ghanaians alone.

I am picking on any individual or group of any nationality that thinks it is okay to walk into a country, work illegally and invite others to do the same.

I am picking on the relevant authorities to do their job and not allow unfettered immigration into Barbados. Do we not watch the news? Can we not learn from other countries where the doors were thrown open to all and sundry?

In Barbados' case, this would be the back door. Are we ready for the challenges of an ethnically diverse and multicultural society?

Associated problems

To date, that would include the Chinese, Filipinos, Guyanese and now Africans. Are we so comfortable and so complacent in Barbados to think that none of the problems associated with unfettered immigration that affect larger countries (with more resources) will affect us?

We are already one of the most densely populated countries in the world, which has implications for land usage, scarce water resources, transportation, garbage and waste disposal, health care and the environment. Can Barbados really afford the major influx of immigrants that we seem to be tacitly accepting?

Wake up Barbados, wake up!