GONSALVES. the wider Caricom region should adopt the liberalised immigration arrangements introduced earlier this year for nationals of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Ralph Gonsalves, the prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, says it is "high time" that all independent member states of the Caribbean Community scrap the policy of requiring nationals of the region to produce a passport for intra-regional travel.

According to Gonsalves, the wider Caricom region should adopt the 'liberalised immigration arrangements' introduced earlier this year for nationals of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) for travel within that sub-region without a passport.

Nationals of the OECS have, since earlier this year, been able to travel within the sub-region by just using a photo ID, instead of passports. They are also allowed to stay, if required, up to six months in any of the participating countries on arrival, without having to obtain an immigration extension for the period.

It is this type of arrangment that the Vincentian prime minister wants to be extended to the entire Caricom region, on a reciprocal basis.

In fact, visitors from the United States and Canada are allowed to enter Caricom countries with passports, using just a photo identification, such as a driver's licence or a national resigration card.

In the case of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Gonsalves said that his government was implementing the scheme for OECS nationals even without reciprocity, guided by shared intelligence information on alert for what he called the "bad boys and bad girls" in the interest of national security.

Gonsalves heads a three-member team of prime ministers examining arrangements for deepening unity - economic and political - within the OECS subregion.

The others are Kenny Anthony of St Lucia, and Pierre Charles of Dominica, who respectively have lead responsibility for governance and justice and freedom of movement within Caricom.

Gonsalves said that facilitating hassle-free movement within Caricom, including doing away with passport requirements, as well as the eventual removal of the necessity for work permits for identifed categories of Caribbean nationals, have been agreed to in principle by heads of government of the entire community.

Caricom states, in the early 1990s, agreed to the free movement of university graduates, journalists and artistes without work permits.

"(I am) therefore, looking forward to the time, soon when all member states of Caricom will. honour their obligations under the revised Community Treaty, and embrace the OECS liberalised policy, on a reciprocal basis, in facilitating intra-regional travel without passport requirement."

He also wanted Caricom to permit longer duration of visits - even if not up to six months as in the case of OECS countries - without having the hassle of seeking extensions from immigration authorities for that period.

But while Gonsalves is calling for intra-regional travel without passports, Barbados will, as of March next year, require all persons arriving in that island to produce a passport instead of just having a photo ID and a birth cetificate.

Barbados' Sunday Sun reported yesterday that in keeping with new arrangements to tighten security measures, all visitors, irrespective of nationality and place of origin, would be required to produce a valid passport at points of entry into the island.

This policy governing visitors to Barbados would mean an end to the current immigration regime that permits American and Canadian citizens, to arrive with just a photo identification and birth cetificate.

Prime Minister Gonsalves said it was "the right of every sovereign state to determine its immigration policy", but noted that the proposed change by Barbados to include all visitors, could mean "prolonging a policy that requires the production of a valid passport also from Caricom nationals when we should all be thinking of liberalising existing arrangements..."

Beres Hammond woos Toronto fans

Toronto film fest includes Spike Lee, Coens movies

Caribbean Model Search unveils Sunday