The words "Caribbean Community" appear on the front of your passport - but what do they really mean? It should mean that you have the right to move around the Caribbean unimpeded, and now a landmark ruling from the Caribbean Court of Justice has enforced that right and scolded the Country of Barbados for violating it.
It was handed down today in the case of Jamaican Shanique Myrie, who arrived at Grantley Adams International Airport on May 14, 2011. She claimed that Barbadian officials denied her entry into Barbados, and she was subjected to a traumatizing body cavity search in a deplorable detention center. She was expelled from the country the next day.
She brought her claim to the CCJ that Barbados violated her right to free movement within CARICOM, which she claims was done in discrimination against her Jamaican nationality. The State of Jamaica intervened in the case on her behalf.
After hearing the entire case, the court rejected the claim that she was discriminated against because of her nationality, but they did rule in her favor that she was wrongfully denied entry into Barbados. They said that her right to free movement was violated, and they granted her damages in the sum of $75,000 Barbadian dollars. The CCJ also ordered Barbados to refund Myrie her of medical expenses, her airline ticket and her legal expenses.
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