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Citizenship policy being modernised

Gercine Carter
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Citizenship policy being modernised

Government is forging ahead with plans to modernise its immigration and citizenship policy, in response to issues associated with a declining population and the future sustainability of the social security system.

Leading off debate on the Immigration Bill, 2026, and the Citizenship Bill, 2026, at yesterday’s sitting of the House of Assembly, Minister of Home Affairs and Information Gregory Nicholls said the matter needed to be addressed urgently.

“It is not an easy problem to fix, but certainly we must therefore move now to modernise the frameworks to ensure that our children who remain on this land are not saddled with a burden of dealing with all of us, while there are fewer and fewer of them,” he said.

Among other things, the Immigration Bill expands the eligibility for permanent residence in Barbados to include the spouses of Barbadian citizens, retirees with adequate financial means and their dependents.

“We cannot continue to scoff at the possibility that people who have means that want to come legitimately and live out the rest of their lives in Barbados, may have dependents that are attached to them for sustenance, and create an artificial distinction where we can want them to come, but those that depend on them cannot. This provision will encourage long-term residence among economically and selfsufficient individuals who contribute to the social fabric of Barbados and economic stability.”

The Immigration Bill also proposes to abolish the “outdated” category of immigrant status and provides a clearer pathway for existing immigrants to convert their status to permanent residency. It introduces a merit-based system, allowing individuals who meet certain criteria, including age, Barbadian lineage, education skills and financial resources, to apply for permanent residence.

“The focus here is on managing and retaining skilled migrants to come into the country, while addressing the loss of Barbadian talent,” Nicholls said, adding that some of the contemplated changes were being made in acknowledgement that there were “many skilled professionals . . . who call themselves Bajan, who live abroad”.

“These shortages constrain our investment productivity and diversification of the economy. This erosion of the productive population threatens the nation’s competitiveness. It limits our ability to attract investment and be able to make good on all of the things that attract people to Barbados. Without urgent action, Mr Speaker, these trends will continue and it will undermine the country’s output,” the St Thomas Member of Parliament warned.

The Citizenship Bill, 2026, debated cognately with the

Immigration Bill, 2026, seeks to create an easier pathway for Caribbean nationals to acquire Barbadian citizenship and all that it affords. Nicholls appealed to Barbadians to be more receptive to Caribbean nationals migrating here, while chiding them for the customary reception of their regional neighbours.

He suggested Government “has to look at the system under which our Immigration Department is organised through the law, and how people are able to gain citizenship and the other status that are set out under the Immigration Act and the Citizenship Act”.

Both pieces of legislation were sent to a Joint Standing Committee of Parliament, just like their predecessors, the Immigration Bill, 2025 and the Citizenship Bill, 2025. (GC)

Bajan film making noise

Nationnews Desk
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Bajan film making noise

Cinephiles in Barbados, the diaspora and across the globe who love horror flicks have a new one, 100 per cent homegrown, to add to their “must-see list”.

After three years in the making, Stockton Miller’s film The Silence After premiered recently on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and the movie’s website and before a very engrossed and engaged audience at the Daphne Joseph Hackett Theatre in Queen’s Park.

With top-notch special effects, solid acting and a good script, the story is centred on the chaos that ensues after violent zombie-like protestors run rampant across the country following a mysterious viral outbreak. 

Survival is the main theme of the DarkWeb Films, Animekon Studios and Boardhouse Productions movie, but there are sub themes of abuse and relationships.

After the screening before an audience comprising Miller, his co-writers Brandon Atherley and Cherah Belgrave, the cast, media and other specially invited guests, Miller said: “This film was something we’ve been working on for a while. We did it before, then we did it over.

“My focus this time was about the survivors and what they would do in a weird situation. And as you can see, what happened. 

“I’m trying not to be emotional. We really worked hard on this film and last year August till yesterday . . . we were trying to get this day happen, and it finally happened, thanks to the National Cultural Foundation,” he said to robust applause.

He thanked the cast for their hard work, the late nights of filming and re-shooting scenes multiple times, and noted it was also fun. He also thanked and praised the co-writers and said that it was Belgrave who named “80 per cent of the characters” because he could not, even though he visualised who he wanted to play them.

Miller told the DAILY NATION there was a casting call for people to be in the movie, which was done with a small budget.

In his remarks, Atherley said the word he “hated” most on set was “tweak”, which was Miller’s “favourite word.

“Because it means that I have to rewrite something or change something. And normally when he says tweak, it means a few pages. So that was an experience.”

He also shared an experience on set, where he saw an upset Miller wearing “a whole hazmat suit” after one of the actors got COVID. Following that, he had to “fix” the script to make it work as they had no shooting days left and the budget was small but they made it work.

Miller urged the audience to like and share the movie trailers and stream the movie, which will also be available on TiVo from May 13.

Senior business development officer at the National Cultural Foundation Andre Hoyte said the goal now is to drive the distribution of the film. 

“So let us put some money behind it. Encourage our friends to download, pay, go on the Amazon Prime and Apple TV and the website and really support this film, because we have to support all of these actors as well. And this is just a taste of things to come . . .  Congratulations again to all of you,” Hoyte said.

Before the screening, the audience was treated to a 30-minute screening of Tyquan Neblett’s capstone short film Spotlight, based on the Heartman of Bajan folklore. (GBM)

Voting underway in Antigua

Nationnews Desk
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Voting underway in Antigua

ST. JOHN’S – Voters in this Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country are going to an estimated 190 polling stations on Thursday to cast ballots in a general election that Prime Minister Gaston Browne called almost two years ahead of the constitutional deadline.

The polling stations, which opened at 6 a.m. (local time), will close 12 hours later.

The Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) says 63 330 persons are eligible to cast their ballots for the 17 constituencies at stake, and increase of almost 3 000 voters and is promising that the process will be transparent and well coordinated.

“Electors who apply to replace their expired Voter’s ID Card will be issued a Special Identification Card (special ID) at the Registration Units within the Constituencies on Thursday, April 30th, 2026 – Election Day. The Registration Units will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to facilitate this process,” ABEC said.

“I would like to take this opportunity to encourage Antiguans and Barbudans to go out and exercise their franchise. However, you will not be able to exercise your franchise without a valid voters ID card.  So for persons who are yet to replace their voters ID card…you will need to apply for a special voters ID card and you will need a passport size photo,” said ABEC public relations officer, Elisa Graham.

The elections are being monitored by teams from the CARICOM, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Commonwealth.

“We offer a renaissance in changing times,” Prime Minister Browne said as his ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) is seeking a fourth consecutive term in office.

“On election day, do not take a risk on a leader and a team that’s just not ready. Let’s keep Antigua and Barbuda in strong and safe hands,”  said Browne, the first prime minister here ever to have won three consecutive terms in office.

The ABLP is being challenged by the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP), with its leader Jamale Pringle saying that Antigua and Barbudans have suffered for too long under the current administration.

“No longer will the people be subjected to the whims and fancy of a political party or a candidate or political person,” said Pringle, who is leading the party into a general election for the first time.

“We will ensure that policies are geared towards everybody without political interference,” he  added.,

The ABLP is contesting all 17 seats, while the UPP is fielding candidates for the 16 seats on Antigua with its affiliate, the Barbuda People’s Movement (BPM) contesting the seat on Barbuda. There are three independent candidates.

In the last general election held on  January 18, 2023, the  ABLP won nine of  the 17 seats, with the others going to the UPP and a lone independent candidate. (CMC)

Tributes flow for Professor Juliet Daniel

Nationnews Desk
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Tributes flow for Professor Juliet Daniel

By Tony Best

Of the many wide-ranging national, provincial awards and local acclaims of excellence for ground-breaking cancer research Professor Juliet Daniel received, one that recently reverberated across Canada was the recognition of her peers in scientists.

It came last year when it was announced that the 61-year-old Barbadian, a distinguished biology professor and associate dean of research and external relations at McMaster University in Ontario, had been elected to the prestigious national Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Daniel passed away on Tuesday in a Canadian hospital after a battle with cancer.

“Election to the academy is considered one of the highest honours for individuals in the Canadian health sciences community,” stated McMaster University, where Daniel and her team of researchers excelled in cancer research.

She grew up in Culloden Road, St Michael, attended St Paul’s Primary School, Queen’s College and later earned undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, including a doctorate in science, from leading Canadian universities. She was an internationally respected cancer researcher at McMaster.

Her research led to the discovery and naming of a new gene, “Kaiso”, coined from her favourite musical genre, calypso. It regulates the expression of genes that control cell proliferation, cell adhesion and cell motility. As explained in a publication, Kaiso’s malfunction in cells leads to developmental disorders, aggressive tumour growth and spread in various human cancers, for example, breast, colon and prostate cancers.

“Oh, what an amazing scientist, what a friend,” Pamela Geraldine Appelt, a retired judge of Canada’s Citizenship Court and close friend of the Bajan, told the Weekend Nation after news broke of the sudden death of Daniel at the height of her stellar scientific career.

“We were together in Barbados, my second home, but during the wonderful visit we had to fly back quickly so she could receive urgent medical care. Unfortunately, she did not survive. What a tremendous loss to people everywhere.”

Barbadian Dr Grant Morris, a prominent urban planning expert renowned for his philanthropy in Ontario, providing scholarships, toys and other forms of assistance to Caribbean youth, agreed with Appelt.

“Dr Daniel’s penetrating scientific research and interest in the growth and development of young people was simply remarkable and well known across Canada,” he said. “We have lost a wonderful human. The world of science is poorer today, but her legacy will live on through the lives of cancer survivors.”

Dr Shellie Gumbs, a Barbadian medical cancer specialist at the worldfamous Memorial Sloan Kettering Institute in New York, said Daniel’s “amazing discovery” of the Kaiso gene transformed the scientific understanding of cancer.

“Her ground-breaking work revealed how this gene regulates tumour suppression and the way in which cancer cells invade various organs. It provided a critical foundation for the development of targeted cancer therapies. Her work brought new hope to patients battling aggressive cancers, advancing both early detection and treatment outcomes.”

She added: “Whenever a Bajan goes for an examination, say for a lump in the breast or treatment for prostate cancer, for instance, he or she should say thank God for the work of a fellow Barbadian, Dr Daniel. Yes, we mourn her death, but her legacy will continue to shape the future of cancer care. That is important to remember.”

The Barbados Cancer Association USA said the researcher’s legacy was “one of excellence, compassion and unwavering commitment to improving lives in Canada, Barbados and elsewhere around the world”.

G. Joanne Yarde, the association’s new president who is an Assistant Commissioner of Health in New York City, said the Kaiso gene was “key to how cancer cells grow and spread, making her work an important part of advancing cancer research”.

She said Daniel’s death was a great loss but added: “Her work, her voice and her influence will endure.”

Joan Rowe, another Barbadian in North America who was a friend of the renowned biologist, said Daniel’s commitment to science and the results she recorded in the annals of cancer detection were simply astounding.

“Dr Daniel was thorough, kind, down-to-earth and committed to work. We are all indebted to her, this child of Barbados,” said Rowe, a Toronto resident and a former head girl of The St Michael School in the 1950s. “Her death is a significant blow to all of us.”

Breast cancer was part of Daniel’s family’s history. Her mother died from it and the researcher was later diagnosed with the disease, though it was declared in remission.

Last day to file income tax

Antoinette Connell
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Last day to file income tax

Today is the deadline for the filing of income tax and a crowd has gathered at Queen’s Park Steel Shed, The City, where the Barbados Revenue Authority has been hosting free clinics to mainly assist Barbadians in doing so.

Similar to yesterday, last-minute filers have descended on the historic site prior to the 9 a.m. opening. Minutes into the opening scores were already inside receiving help.

A long line outside the Barbados Revenue Authority tax clinic at Queen’s Park. (Picture by Reco Moore)

Those still needing help have a 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. window of opportunity to avoid a monetary penalty for missing the deadline.

The BRA has been hosting free clinics since the start of the month giving help to those who want to register, reset their passwords, register for their TAMIS number and make land tax queries. (AC)

Get more young people involved in Crop Over festival

Nationnews Desk
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Get more young people involved in Crop Over festival

A suggestion is being made to have more young people involved in the Crop Over festival including some aspects of Grand Kadooment.

It’s coming from tent manager and backing vocalist in All Stars Calypso Tent, Eleanor Rice, who said in an interview with Weekend Buzz that by guiding them in this direction, they could learn valuable skills.

“We’ve got to get the young people into wire bending. We’ve got to get them into costume building. We’ve got to give them things in the schools. A Kadooment band can sign up with a school and say, ‘Look, this is what I want y’all to do. I want you to put the feathers onto this’. I know those children will take part and be happy to be a part of an exercise like that,” she said.

Cognisant that some primary school students participate in making costumes for their Junior Kadooment bands, Rice wants it to go further and involve the “young ladies and men at secondary schools to let them be a part of a Kadooment band”.

Rice, like others, is also “glad” that the Party Monarch and Soca Monarch competitions are back on the list of Crop Over events this year.

She said if structured properly, they could be “one of the biggest Crop Over earners on the books for the NCF [National Cultural Foundation]”.

“I am happy that we do have it back. And not only that, it gives the younger men an opportunity to express themselves in song, because a lot of them think they can sing so let us give them the opportunity to sing. Give them something else to concentrate on. Give them something else to do and to look forward to.

“We cannot give that opportunity to the guys who have gone up to prison. We gotta give the ones outside an opportunity to do something that is positive. So, from that angle, I’m happy about both of them,” said the tent manager whose first show for the season is slated for May 31 at St Gabriel’s School.

And while he is not contemplating entering either of the two soca contests, multiple Pic O De Crop monarch Ian iWeb Webster said the events with top prizes of $100 000 do provide a chance for artistes to develop or enhance their stage performance.

He said that “competition-type environment” and the “competition does lend to developing one’s stage craft” “This is quite different than just performing in gigs, because when you have criteria to follow and that kind of thing, it forces you then to look at the craftsmanship and the details and the intricacies of what you’re doing in terms of your art form on stage. You wouldn’t perform the same way for a competition that you would do in a fete, it’s two different types of performances altogether.

“I think it’s good that it’s coming back. I’m happy for the reintroduction of the ‘Pot and happy for the reintroduction of the soca competition, even though I really ain’t sure of my involvement,” said Webster.

(GBM)

Greenidge: BIMPay set to launch June 12

Colville Mounsey
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Greenidge: BIMPay set to launch June 12

Come June 12, the BIMPay digital payments platform will be launched and there will be no further postponement, declared Central Bank Governor Dr The Most Honourable Kevin Greenidge yesterday.

Speaking during the Central Bank’s first-quarter review of the economy at the Courtney Blackman Grande Salle, Tom Adams Financial Centre in The City yesterday, he said the original March 31 roll-out date had to be pushed back because several institutions were not ready to connect to the new payments infrastructure.

He said the decision was taken to avoid excluding customers and businesses.

“I was faced with one decision – either extend or close them out till they’re ready, and then you will come and holler, ‘Governor, I can’t pay this bill, I can’t do this, I can’t do that’. So we decided to extend it to June the 12th. That’s important. That’s launch date.”

He was emphatic that the revised deadline would be met. “Yes, we are launching now. Yes, we are launching then. There is no postponing this.”

BIMPay is expected to modernise transactions across Barbados by allowing faster electronic payments between individuals, businesses and institutions.

Greenidge disclosed that nine institutions were in the final stages of readiness testing, with most close to completion.

“Where I am now, and I just did the analysis report this morning, we have nine institutions. Five of them or six of them are above 93 per cent ready on testing. Another is above 83 per cent, so I have almost eight above, and one lagging.”

He praised the work being done by banks and the Central Bank team to get the system over the line.

“My staff are already volunteering and they will run the clock with them. I don’t think the banks have worked harder than ever. They are working super hard and they are fully committed.”

The Governor explained that the main obstacles were not cyber threats, but integrating older systems with the new platform.

Asked about cost, he said BIMPay was being financed by the Central Bank rather than taxpayers.

“The cost to execute BIMPay right now, in putting the infrastructure in place is the Central Bank, not Government. The Central Bank, as you know, is not dependent on Government for financing. We generate our own financing,” he said.

“Don’t focus on the cost. I would prefer us to focus on the benefits that we bring to every person in Barbados.”

Among those benefits he listed were stronger support for small and medium-sized enterprises, which often struggle to access finance because of weak transaction records.

“BIMPay will certainly assist many small and medium-sized businesses in terms of their prepared statements, in terms of becoming more credit-worthy for finance,” he said.

The platform forms part of the broader Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation 2026 reform programme, which Greenidge said was aimed at modernising institutions, boosting productivity and making Barbados more future-ready.

Caribbean countries join US in support of Panama’s sovereignty

Nationnews Desk
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Caribbean countries join US in support of Panama’s sovereignty

WASHINGTON -Two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, have joined four other countries, including the United States in monitoring “with vigilance China’s targeted economic pressure and the recent actions that have affected Panama-flagged vessels”.

The US State Department in a statement said that the governments of Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana have joined Washington, Bolivia, Costa Rica, and Paraguay in “standing together in our shared mission to secure our hemisphere, reaffirm that the freedom of our region is non-negotiable.

“We are monitoring with vigilance China’s targeted economic pressure and the recent actions that have affected Panama-flagged vessels.  These actions — following the decision of Panama’s independent Supreme Court regarding the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals — are a blatant attempt to politicise maritime trade and infringe on the sovereignty of the nations of our hemisphere,” the statement said.

According to the governments, “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system, and as such must remain free from any undue external pressure”.

They said “any attempts to undermine Panama’s sovereignty are a threat to us all.

“We stand in solidarity with Panama.  Through our renewed commitment to peace, security, and Hemispheric cooperation, we remain dedicated to facing all threats to ensure the Americas remain a region of freedom, security, and prosperity,” the statement added.

While the statement gave no specific incident to have prompted the concerns of the governments, the United State earlier this month expressed significant concern over China’s presence in Panama, focusing on China’s role in port operations and alleged retaliation against Panama-flagged vessels following legal disputes over infrastructure control

This tension centers on the strategic Panama Canal, which handles about five per cent of global maritime trade. (CMC)

Sir Clive wants Bajan legend to mentor WI bats

Philip Spooner
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Sir Clive wants Bajan legend to mentor WI bats

Sir Gordon Greenidge is considered to be the ideal candidate to work with young batsmen in the West Indies to raise the standard of their play.

This view has been expressed by Sir Clive Lloyd, the legendary captain who led West Indies to global domination in the 1970s and 1980s. Sir Gordon turns 75 years old tomorrow and he has been put forward as the most suitable candidate for the position of “batting consultant” – a post expected to be soon filled by Cricket West Indies (CWI).

His legendary opening partner The Most Honourable Desmond Haynes performs a similar role of batting consultant and mentor with the Barbados Pride team. He was recently instrumental in their improved showing with the bat against Jamaica Scorpions in the regional four-day first-class competition.

CWI has already filled the bowling consultant role. Earlier this month, the Daily Nation revealed that Ottis Gibson, another Barbadian and former West Indies all-rounder and T20 World Cup- winning head coach, will take up that role on a one-year contract.

Subscribe now to our eNATION edition for the full story.

For the latest stories and breaking news updates download the Nationnews apps for iOS and Android.

Trump expected to be among Nobel Peace Prize nominees

Nationnews Desk
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Trump expected to be among Nobel Peace Prize nominees

OSLO – Some 287 candidates will be considered for ​the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, the secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee said on Thursday, with US President Donald Trump ‌likely to be among the nominees.

Of this year’s nominations, 208 are individuals and 79 are organisations, said Kristian Berg Harpviken, adding that there were many new nominees compared to last year.

“Since I am new in the job, one of the things that has to some extent surprised me is how much renewal there is from ​year to year on the list,” Harpviken said in an interview. He has held the position since January 2025.

Despite the number ​of conflicts rising worldwide and international cooperation under pressure, the award remains relevant, he added.

“The Peace Prize is even ⁠more important in a period like the one we’re living in,” he said. “There is as much good work, if not more, than ever.”

The leaders of Cambodia, Israel and Pakistan have said they nominated Trump for this year’s prize. Their nominations, if made, would have been ​done in spring and summer 2025, and they are therefore valid given the deadline was January 31.

There is no way of verifying they have done as they have said as nominations remain secret for 50 years and Harpviken declined to say on Thursday whether Trump had been nominated.

A nomination is not an endorsement by the ​award body.

In addition to committee members, thousands of people worldwide can propose names: members of governments and parliaments; current heads of state; university ​professors of history, social sciences, law and philosophy; and former Nobel Peace Prize laureates, among others.

Many names appear on betting sites giving odds on this year’s possible ‌laureates, ⁠from Russia’s Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, to Pope Leo and Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms, a volunteer aid group, among others. (Reuters)

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