Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kerrie Symmonds, addressing the audience at a recent town hall meeting in Brooklyn, New York, USA. (PMO)
Government is intensifying its efforts to defend the rights of Barbadians who have spent decades contributing to the United States economy but now face the possibility of unfair treatment under the US government’s immigration policies.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kerrie Symmonds, reassured hundreds of Barbadians at a town hall meeting on Saturday, held under the theme “Gathering as One Nation”, at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New York, that their concerns are being taken seriously.
He told those gathered and watching online that the battles fought by the civil rights movement in the 1960s to protect the rights of Black people were “being waged again” in the United States and across the North Atlantic.
Mr. Symmonds said the Government has been monitoring the situation and has put the necessary human resources in place to address the needs of the diaspora living in larger states, as well as to focus on matters of economic and commercial diplomacy.
He stated: “I feel that as your Foreign Minister that there is a need for us to put ourselves in a position to make sure that you don’t get ‘unfaired up here’, and I say this very seriously, and we have to have a ‘straight talk’ conversation.”
Mr. Symmonds continued: “Barbados cannot look after you and your interests the way we want to unless we know who you are, where you are, what you’re doing, how we can find you, and, better yet, how you can find us. And, I’m going to talk you through the concerns that we have because I want to make sure that you are very clear on this matter.
“So, therefore, once you hear that the Deputy Consul General or the Consul General is trying to reach out so that we can get information, it is not to be…meddling in your private business. It is to put…Bridgetown in a position where we are better able to lend assistance in the event that it should happen.”
Mr. Symmonds pointed to “chaotic scenes” on the streets in other US states and warned that the Federal Government has signalled its intention to intensify the dragnet in US cities.
The Minister acknowledged that there were some Barbadians whose paperwork was not in order, and he noted that embassies and missions will be training staff to deal with such issues as they arise.
“Traditionally, a Foreign Service Officer never had these kinds of things to worry about. This is now a new era, and they have to be attuned and able to adapt to some of these challenges that are coming out. I want to say to you that even if you are documented, please try to understand that that does not mean, in and of itself, that you will not be targeted,” Mr. Symmonds insisted.
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley also delivered a brief address and fielded questions on a range of issues from the audience. Consul General to New York, Lorenzo Harewood, offered brief remarks.
Author: Julie Carrington
Source: https://gisbarbados.gov.bb/blog/government-steps-up-efforts-to-protect-barbadians-in-the-us/
