Free movement through OECS set to take effect

Grenada's PM Tillman Thomas

St. George’s, January 25, 2011 (GIS) – Grenada and other member-nations of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) are eliminating the need for passports to travel to and from each other’s countries.

It’s one of the outcomes of the ratification of the Revised Treaty establishing the OECS Economic Union, which permits free movement of people in the sub-region covering the Windward and Leeward Islands.

Free movement, and a range of other issues relating to the Economic Union, were discussed at the 52^nd Meeting of the OECS Authority in St. George’s on January 24.

Host Prime Minister, Grenada’s Tillman Thomas, said free movement of people throughout the OECS should take effect within a few months.

“We are setting the date of August 1^st of this year. By that date, we expect OECS citizens to be moving in and out OECS states without restrictions, once you have a driver’s licence or I.D. card,’’ Hon. Thomas told reporters at a post-meeting news conference Tuesday.

He was joined at the news conference by Montserrat’s Chief Minister, Reuben Meade, and St. Lucian Prime Minister, Stephenson King.

The leaders acknowledged security concerns associated with free movement of people. But they insisted that implementing unrestricted travel within the sub-region was necessary.

 “We have been talking about freedom of movement in the region for many years but we have not fully effected that,’’ Chief Minister Meade said. “I believe that is something that every member of the OECS would like to see happen; where you can travel from Grenada all the way up to St. Kitts without let or hindrance.’’

Prime Minister King, reflecting on the St. George’s meeting, said that “one of the most significant achievements was the determination of leaders to bring about, truly, free movement of our people throughout the region.’’

“We recognize,’’ he admitted, “the security issues; of the potential of criminals using our islands to move from one island to the other. But, notwithstanding, we also recognize the very important role that our people play in moving the sub-region forward. So we thought that it was necessary to ensure that all of the instruments necessary to provide for the free movement of people through the sub-region are put in place.’’

The St. Lucian leader also revealed that OECS nations are seeking a simplified system to the lengthy immigration forms that airline passengers are required to complete and submit on arrival at each island’s airport.

“The forms that we often have to fill out are long as one can ever imagine with questions that sometimes, I  personally believe, are irrelevant,’’ Prime Minister King said.

The hope is either to shorten the form or develop a regional database of information that would allow passengers travelling through airports to do so “without delaying the process,’’ said King.