GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Deputy Secretary-General Ambassador Dr Manorma Soeknandan says there is need for more sensitization among regional border officials regarding the rules and procedures governing free travel within the 15-member grouping.

Addressing the 42nd meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), which ends here on Friday, Soeknandan said that the way CARICOM nationals were treated as they travelled regionally continued to generate discussion.

CARICOM Deputy Secretary-General Ambassador Dr Manorma Soeknandan (left) and St Lucia’s External Affairs Alva Baptiste

The COTED meeting will discuss the issue as part of their consideration of the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) that allows for the free movement of goods, skills, services and labour across the region.

“It is clear that more sensitisation has to be done among our border officials in relation to the rules that are already in place and the procedures that should be followed.

“At this meeting, therefore, ministers, you may wish to consider establishing a quick-response mechanism to resolve situations as they arise on the ground,” the Deputy Secretary-General said.

Jamaica has in the past few weeks been critical of the decision of immigration officials in Trinidad and Tobago to send back some of their nationals claiming that they were being deported because they would be a drain on the local economy.

Jamaicans have called for a boycott of goods from Port of Spain and earlier this week and opposition legislator called on the new Andrew Holness government to take the matter before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

In her address, Soeknandan referred to comments made by the CARICOM Secretary-General Irwin LaRoccque at another COTED meeting and reiterated that the average citizen judged CARICOM on the extent to which they were able to move freely throughout the region.

She reminded the meeting of the need to remain vigilant to the need to protect the integrity of treaty arrangements, adding that it was essential that the administrative structures required to give effect to the legal arrangements were functioning properly.

“This is the only way to minimise or eliminate the obstacles that arise from time to time in the conduct of our integration affairs. The people of the region have a right to expect consistent application of the rules governing our arrangements as they seek to enjoy the benefits of integration,” the Deputy Secretary-General said.