Published on: 6/28/2009.

by MARIA BRADSHAW

PRIME MINISTER David Thompson has no intention of shouting across the Caribbean Sea at, or with colleague Prime Ministers, or other high ranking government officials regarding the issue of immigration.

Yesterday, Thompson in a statement to the Press, said he would be holding a Press conference with journalists when he visits Guyana next week to reiterate Barbados’ policy position on immigration and the free movement of CARICOM nationals in and out of the country.

“I have said before and I repeat today that I have no intention of shouting across the Caribbean Sea at or with colleague Prime Ministers or other high ranking government officials . . . I will not be hiding from, or ducking the issues.

“There is clearly a need for public education of all interest groups, at all levels, and I intend to lead from the front on this issue,” the Prime Minister said.

He said his Government will pay to have that Press conference “beamed and broadcast live from Georgetown to every capital city of CARICOM and indeed across the world-wide web”, adding “there must be no ambiguity about
where Barbados stands on this issue”.

Thompson made the comments at a Press conference yesterday at the Grantley Adams International Airport following reports from Guyanese who said they were ill-treated and deported from the island.

The Prime Minister lashed out at critics, especially those expressing disgust at what he called: “the reckless and grossly unfair generalisations and slurs” levelled against public officers and Barbadians, even by some of our own who cannot see beyond their naked partisan and political ambition.”

He warned that harmful damage was being done to the country.

“I am saying to whomever it may concern; bring the evidence; come with facts; come with actual incidents and experiences, or leave the good name of Barbadians and of Barbados alone!”

He said much of the bizarre stories peddled on blog sites, talk show programmes, in newspaper columns and asserted by so-called professional thinkers, were untrue and without foundation.

“There is no evidence to corroborate, or even create a circumstantial setting for such incidents to have taken place,”
he said.

Thompson said he would not be deterred by those who have sought “to drain every ounce of emotional blood from this issue”.

He urged Barbadians contributing to the “raging debate” to temper their remarks with reason, research and a quest for truth.

“I would like to appeal to Barbadians at home and abroad to put Barbados first in their submissions on this sensitive, but absolutely necessary debate,”
he said.

“The bottom line here is that Barbados has a serious problem of illegal, unchecked and undocumented migration and this government is doing something about it,” he said.

“The Government that I have the honor to lead, will do right by Barbados, even if at times, it has to go it alone.”