Port-au-Prince, September 14, 2025.- From October 1, 2025, Haitian citizens will no longer be able to travel, settle or work without a visa in Barbados, Belize, Dominica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. This decision marks a clear step backwards in the regional « total free movement » and raises concern and disappointment in Haiti.
Adopted at the last CARICOM Summit in Jamaica, the « total free movement » The aim was to facilitate displacement and strengthen Caribbean integration. But four Member States have turned back, citing security, employment and capacity concerns.
This shift undermines Haiti's regional integration ambitions, which hoped for a strong gesture of solidarity from its neighbours. While other CARICOM countries are still pursuing discussions, the controversy highlights tensions between regional cooperation and the protection of national interests.
For Haiti, whose diaspora is a major economic and social issue, free movement remains a strategic demand. But this episode recalls how the road to a true Caribbean unity remains sore.
W.A.
