Premier goes all in on Caricom

The Virgin Islands government is “vigorously” pursuing full membership in the Caribbean Community, but it won’t sign on to a protocol that allows free movement of people across borders, according to Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley.

Mr. Wheatley made the announcement last Thursday in a video broadcast from the sidelines of the regional grouping’s 50th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in St. Kitts and Nevis.

“Persons don’t have to be concerned, because all aspects of Caricom’s initiatives and policies don’t have to apply to us,” Mr. Wheatley said. “For instance, the Bahamas does not participate in freedom of movement. But there’s so much that we can benefit from as full members, and therefore we are pursuing this vigorously.”

Though the announcement itself heralds a major change in the territory’s relationship with Caricom, the premier acknowledged last week that formal negotiations have not yet begun and said his government will proceed carefully and protect residents’ interests.

Currently, 14 of 15 full Caricom members are independent countries, with the only exception being Montserrat, which became a full member in 1974. The VI, like the rest of Britain’s Caribbean overseas territories and Bermuda, is an associate member — a status it acquired in 1991. In 2023, Bermuda and the TCI also announced plans to pursue full Caricom membership, but neither has attained the status, which requires United Kingdom approval.

Last week, Mr. Wheatley argued that the benefits of full membership include opportunities to collaborate more closely on trade, security, climate resilience, health and education initiatives.

“We all see the geopolitical situation,” he added. “We see the shifts, we see global powers and their policy positions that they have taken, and it’s important for us as a group of small island developing states to come together and engage with these global powers so we can understand our position and ensure proper cooperation.”

As an example of such cooperation, he said last week’s Caricom meeting included sessions with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio as well as high-level representation from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the African Export-Import Bank and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

“It has been a marvelous opportunity to be able to engage with these stakeholders and see what their position is, what direction they are going in, and how they would like to cooperate with the region, which has benefits for the region, including the Virgin Islands,” Mr. Wheatley said of the Feb. 24-27 conference.

In a press release issued last week, the government noted that people from more than 100 countries live and work in the territory.

“Premier Wheatley sees this as a powerful asset that mirrors the diverse spirit of the Caribbean itself,” the release states. “He believes that by formalising this bond through full membership, the Virgin Islands can better leverage its multicultural identity to bridge gaps within the region.”