By T. Coreentje Phipps-Benjamin
Has immigration, the once glorified pathway to adopting another man's homeland, slowly lost its savor? Legal immigration is an extremely intricate and resource draining process for immigrants. The sacrifice is even greater when it occurs illegally. Still, the appeal to experience life in another country remains. Despite insurmountable odds, immigrants trek, one by one, two by two, from one continent to the next, giving way to an inevitable melting pot in another land destined to be called "home".
Nothing New
The road to immigration is no novelty. History documents that great cities have been built with the blood, sweat, and tears of people from various cultures, unfortunately some by force, and at other times at will. The impetus that has driven many West Indians to the shores of England and the United States is not much different to that of their European or Asian counterparts. Seemingly, the thirst for an improved way of life and a desire to capitalize on opportunities unavailable at home, remain major catalysts that spur relocation overseas.
“The Good With The Bad”
Many would agree that an abundance of issues plague the lives of our people who have migrated overseas. In fact, as a consequence of US immigration, the West Indian community contends with the loss of multitalented individuals on the one hand and, on the other hand, the acquisition of citizens who would have committed a crime, faced incarceration, and be eventually removed from the US upon completion of his or her sentence; they are referred to as deportees. You see, in one breath, we salute our citizens who embrace education and the enrichment of "self" that can be attained through immigration, yet in the next breath, we grimace at the loss of our “bright” minds in exchange for America's unwanted problem. Deportees!
Truth is, not all deportees are involved in violent crimes. In fact, as a result of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA), immigration laws changed drastically allowing enforcement officers to monitor and detain non-citizens. Furthermore, because of the provisions of the 1996 laws, even relatively small misdemeanors can lead to an individual’s removal from the United States, irrespective of how long he or she has been a lawful permanent resident. However, there is a stigma affixed being permanently banned from another man's country through deportation to one’s country of birth; enter the unattractive side of immigration.
Real Issues Beg for Real Solutions
Many citizens who travel abroad to pursue education or career opportunities do not necessarily do so intent upon making a foreign land their permanent home. However, given exposure to better opportunities, often times better pay, or even the terms/condition of their study, many individuals face tough decisions about staying in another country or returning to their home. While government spends millions to train and equip their nationals, many are lured away by developed western nations, notably the United States of America, to pursue goals and dreams and face the ultimate challenge in choosing between staying and returning to their homeland. Experts believe that “brain drain” can be minimized, if not stopped, by providing individuals who have expertise with career opportunities. Who will provide these jobs and to what extent can our economy sustain careers to compete with developed nations who attract most of our citizens in the first place is another issue.
The "brain drain, deportee gain" is no new phenomenon and it remains just as problematic to Kittitians and Nevisians as it is to other Caribbean countries. The IMF documents that Guyana has lost over 83% of its known graduates to Canada, America, and Europe. Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti and Jamaica document losing at least 75% of its people to brain drain while other smaller countries in the Eastern Caribbean such as St. Kitts and Nevis have experienced in excess of 83% loss of its graduates to immigration. Not all migrants to a foreign land are intent upon dwelling there for an eternity, but for students whose travels overseas are heavily tied to debt and uncertainty, what incentives/provisions are there for graduates to return to their homeland? Likewise, for disgruntled deportees who may have vague or absolutely no memories of growing up in the Federation, what recourse should they take to allow them a smooth, crime free transition from one life to another? According to Caribbean 360.com news, St. Kitts received 10 of the 3000 citizens deported to the Caribbean as of July 2008. Although our numbers pale in comparison to the larger islands, this issue is worsening and cannot be merely swept under the carpet The fact that CARICOM has requested the assistance of the United States for re-settlement and re-integration purposes is an indication that the increasing number of deportees, especially those whose profile is criminal, is a problem for our governments.
How will the powers that be bridge the divide of a populace that has for years dealt with "brain drain", yet simultaneously encounter a return of criminal elements to our shores, as a consequence of immigration? While the doors of immigration open to usher in the opportunities that await all those who seek to better themselves, when those doors close because individuals engage in criminal acts, the effects are equally damning for those islands, which receive them. Should our Caribbean governments be responsible for the rehabilitation of deportees who have often times spent most of their lives in another country? Should citizens be alerted to the identities of deportees?
No Easy Fix
While there is no immediate solution to this age-old problem, citizens and government alike must be creative in broaching this subject. Many Americans frown at the thought of losing jobs as a result of outsourcing. However, for many US companies, shipping job overseas is a strategic aspect of their business based on procuring cheap labor, thereby minimizing overall production costs. Likewise, citizens of the Federation do not sit pretty when an influx of foreigners grace our shores performing - in our minds - our jobs. However, employers rationalize the need to import labour across various sectors of our economy. Moreover, CARICOM and the CSME allow for the free movement of nationals from one country to the next, as we have become an interconnected, "global sphere" so to speak. These factors and more make the immigration issue unique yet complex.
Political pundits fiercely challenge those who govern and aspire to govern on issues of concern to the electorate. Hidden deeply in the immigration issue as it concerns the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, reaching well beyond the boundaries of troubled students or the increasing number of deportees, is the on again off again debate of who should vote and who shouldn't vote, who was registered where before they migrated, and where they should register to vote upon returning home to exercise their franchise. In fact, the very reason we have had to entertain electoral reform in our Federation is because of the dynamism of immigration. We welcome it, yet we fear it.
Immigration has shaped the face of every country across the globe, as people migrate from one continent to the next. Today, as we sink deeper into a global economic rut, we, like our larger Caribbean neighbors, will be pressed to find measures to address the challenges that abound because of immigration.
When President Barack Obama meets with Caribbean leaders at the April 17-19 Summit of the Americas, they will be charged to engage in meaningful dialogue about the concerns of the West Indian populace. How will our leaders position themselves to speak to the numerous immigration issues we face? The newly elected President of the United States does not have all the solutions to the problems that plague our nations, but with all eyes on Trinidad in the next two weeks, we expect to see the political might of our Caribbean leaders in action, especially as it relates to immigration. Our value to the continued development of the world community demands it.
