BVI says it will not agree to CARICOM free movement

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) will not agree to free movement of Caribbean nationals if it is granted full membership in the CARICOM, Premier Natalio Wheatley has said.

Speaking to the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) during the CARICOM 50th regular summit, Wheatley said the BVI is seeking to advance its application from associate to full membership but made clear that its status as a British Overseas Territory would shape the terms of participation.

“Full membership for us will look different than it looks for an independent sovereign country,” Wheatley said, noting that freedom of movement under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) is among the areas the territory would not sign on to.

“Freedom of movement will be one of the areas that we will not sign up to,” he said, adding that security and certain aspects of foreign policy also fall outside the territory’s authority because of its constitutional relationship with the United Kingdom.

The BVI, along with Turks and Caicos Islands, Anguilla and Bermuda, is seeking to deepen its integration within the 15-member regional bloc. Bermuda has already received approval from the United Kingdom to advance its application but has similarly indicated it will not accept free movement provisions, citing its small size and limited resources.

Montserrat remains the only British Overseas Territory with full membership in CARICOM.

Wheatley said discussions with senior CARICOM Secretariat officials have been progressing well and that the BVI has received strong backing from regional leaders.

“There is a process that has to be undertaken. The process has begun,” he said. “Thus far things have been going very well…and we expect to see a good outcome very soon.”

He added that while the BVI supports regional integration in principle, practical realities must be considered.

“We have to ensure that some of the smaller countries, territories where persons may want to come to, and to be able to work and not overwhelm because we have finite and limited resources,” Wheatley said, noting that more than 70 per cent of the BVI workforce already comes from outside the territory.

The BVI is also pursuing full membership in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), though Wheatley indicated a similar position on free movement would likely apply.

Meanwhile, Anguilla’s Premier Cora Richardson-Hodge said Associated States are seeking a greater role within CARICOM beyond observer status.

“It is important that we all feel as part of one body,” Richardson-Hodge told CMC, adding that Overseas Territories have historically been limited in their participation because of their constitutional arrangements.

While Anguilla has not yet formally applied for full membership, Richardson-Hodge said she supports the direction being taken by other Associate Members and believes Anguilla could eventually follow suit.

On free movement, she suggested there may be room for flexibility.

“Worst case scenario, I would imagine that there are some carve-outs,” she said, adding that work permits — which are widely issued in Associated Member territories — could provide an alternative mechanism for labour mobility.

Richardson-Hodge, who marked her first year in office on Thursday, said discussions at the summit have helped clarify the steps required for deeper integration.

“I do believe that Anguilla will go in that direction at some point in time as well,” she said.