BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) –  Several activists and researchers in the reparations movement from across the region have hailed two successful days of constructive engagements with political representatives from the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) on the issue of slavery reparations.

The delegation’s visit was organised by The Repair Campaign, a movement for reparatory justice in the Caribbean, guided by the Caribbean Community’s (Caricom) 10 Point Plan for Reparatory Justice.

The delegation arrived in Europe earlier this week amid rising calls from Caribbean governments for the UK and other European nations to engage with formal demands for reparations for slavery and its enduring impacts across the region.

However, the Chair of Caricom’s Reparations Commission (CRC), Sir Hilary Beckles has sought to distance the body from the group.

Beckles, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies (The UWI), said that there has been much media reporting referencing the group’s  visit to Europe including “statements to the effect that these individuals, comprising a few from the Caribbean but mostly Europeans, will engage in reparations conversations with political officials and civil society groups”.

Beckles said that as a consequence, the CRC has received several requests for interviews and comments, necessitating a statement to clarify the situation for the betterment of all concerned.

“These persons who have arrived in Europe are neither members of the CRC nor formally affiliated,”  he said, adding that “for over a decade, the CRC has been actively promoting reparatory justice campaigns on a global basis and has adopted an open-tent policy approach to facilitate broad-based advocacy”.

The delegation included people from Barbados, Jamaica, Haiti, Suriname, St Kitts Nevis and St Lucia.

In a statement on Thursday, the group said meetings were held with  met with representatives from across the European Union in Brussels, receiving support from representatives of Portugal, Italy, Spain, Denmark, France and Ireland. Their briefing event at the European Parliament was hosted by Irish MEP Seán Kelly.

The group then travelled to London to meet with UK politicians.

Founded in 2022, the Repair Campaign aims to amplify Caribbean voices and foster meaningful dialogue on reparatory justice for countries impacted by the chattel slave trade. Repair Campaign says it engaged the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) at the University of the West Indies to develop 15 country-specific reparatory justice plans to address the enduring effects of chattel slavery, indentureship and colonialism.

“Our visit to Europe has been extremely positive, shining a light on the issue of reparations and allowing us to see the genuine passion that political representatives across the EU and UK have for our cause. Throughout the Caribbean, we see the aftermath of chattel slavery today in public health crises, inadequate education systems, underdeveloped infrastructure and high national debts,” said Don Marshall, director of SALISES and a member of the Caribbean delegation.