Four Nations, One Caribbean: A Bold Step Toward Free Movement

In just two months, Belizeans will have a whole new level of freedom across the Caribbean, traveling, working, and living in three other CARICOM countries like never before. And, citizens from those countries will also be able to migrate to Belize for similar purposes. It’s all thanks to a groundbreaking agreement signed in July that promises to break down borders and boost regional integration. But what does this really mean for everyday Belizeans, and how will it shape the future of CARICOM? News Five’s Paul Lopez unpacks it all in this week’s Five Point Breakdown.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Four Caribbean nations, including Belize, Dominica, Barbados, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, have decided to take their partnership to the next level. They’ve signed on to the Protocol of Enhanced Cooperation, and it’s a game-changer for their citizens. So, what does this mean in real life?

 

(What Was Agreed Upon)

If you’re from any of these four countries, you’ll now be able to live, work, study, and access healthcare and other essential services in any of the others, no residency or work permit needed. You can come and go freely, just like you would at home. This protocol was first adopted back in March 2022 during the CARICOM meeting in Belize, but now it’s really starting to take shape with these four countries leading the way.

 

Mia Mottley, Prime Minister, Barbados

“There is a case where if a few countries are prepared to move that they can do so through an enhanced cooperation agreement. This will mean that where, the threshold is three countries, raise an issue, once we reach an agreement of two thirds of the community that we can go ahead without unanimity. So that enhanced cooperation is critical towards us being able to progress within the community, without everybody being required to move at the same pace.”

(Why Is This Happening Now?)

So, why is this happening now? Well, CARICOM leaders have been expressing frustration over the slow integration within the Single Market and Economy after twenty-four years.

Andrew Holness, Prime Minister, Jamaica

“The CARICOM Single Market and Economy, we agreed that the pace and scope of implementation was just too slow. And we agreed that we will do everything in our power to speed up implementation.  And I am pleased to share that we are now moving from applying administratively the Proctol on Enhanced Cooperation, which all member states have signed, with now four countries, Barbados, Belize, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Dominica reiterating their willingness to implement full, free movement under the protocol, starting first October 2025.”

 

(Belize’s Involvement in Enhanced Cooperation)

Prior to the Protocol on Enhanced Cooperation, Belize had limited implementation on free movement provisions. With the cooperation agreement, Belize has fast tracked its regional integration efforts by allowing the participating members states to move, live, work and access services freely.  Prime Minister John Briceno describes the move as an opportunity for economic growth, while Minister of Foreign Affairs Francis Fonseca welcomed the initiative.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño (July 11^th 2025)

“If you were to talk to the private sector they will tell you we need more people, we need more workers, desperately, not only at the lower level but middle management and upper management, so we are hoping that by doing that, instead of brining people from England or anywhere in the world our CARICOM brothers and sisters can come to Belize to help in the development of this country.”

 

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Home Affairs (July 16^th 2025)

“We are a proud member of CARICOM man; we are a proud member of CARICOM. Our brothers and sister in CARICOM deserve the opportunity, as do Belizeans, to travel to these countries that have started out.”

But not everyone’s on board with Belize’s bold move. The country’s inclusion in this enhanced cooperation agreement has stirred up some debate. Opposition voices, including Lead Senator Patrick Faber, are raising concerns, especially about job competition. They worry that opening the doors too wide could put Belizeans at a disadvantage in the job market. And there’s another concern: migration control. Given Belize’s proximity to the United States, some are questioning how this agreement might impact border management and population flow.

 

(Opposition Pushes Back on Enhanced Cooperation)

 

Patrick Faber, Lead Opposition Senator (July 18^th, 2025)

“Dah weh the people deh wah live, because we done nuh have enough housing here. That is the thing they don’t tell us. When these people come, the government says they will almost treat them like citizens. Well, news flash, the government can’t take care of the existing citizenry of this country and now they will bring people for us to take care of them. You know what the problem is, Belize is on the mainland and Mexico is right there, so all those people from those small islands that want to cross a border easily now have access to Belize, without having to come for a visa and this is what got us in the problem with Jamaica a little while ago.”

 

(Dawn of a New Regional Frontier)

Come October first, Belizeans will have a brand-new Caribbean chapter to explore. Thanks to the enhanced cooperation agreement, they’ll be able to live, work, and access services freely in Barbados, Dominica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, no permits, no paperwork. It’s being called a kind of ‘mini-CARICOM’, and this pilot phase is more than just symbolic. It’s a real-world test to see if deeper regional integration can actually work, not just on paper, but in people’s everyday lives.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“We are just saying that we will work through over the course of the next three years. look at the attorneys, when that happened, the local attorneys were saying the attorneys from the Caribbean will flood Belize. That has never happened. In every aspect, they have never been flooding Belize. But the truth is we need more laborers, more skilled laborers, but that is no offense to our laborers. I don’t want you to twist my words, we have very good skilled laborers in Belize.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez