THERE is yet another negative report pointed at Barbados’ immigration officers at the Grantley Adams International Airport.
Sonya King recounted what she describes as a horrific ordeal endured by herself and her 14-month-old son Kaleb Joseph Saturday night leading into early Sunday morning, when they sought entry into the country.
When King, a Jamaican, contacted the Jamaica Observer she explained that she has lived in Trinidad & Tobago for the past four years, but decided that she wanted to visit Barbados along with her son, for the experience.
“I always hear people talk bad about Barbados immigration system but we have a saying in Jamaica that ‘puss and dog don’t have the same luck’, so I put the negative behind me and pursued the trip,” King related to the Observer in an interview.
“I flew from Trinidad to Barbados and when I got to the airport (Saturday night) I could feel the hostility before I even stepped up to immigration. I went up to the immigration officer and explained my purpose for visiting and having my baby with me. The very moment the immigration officer heard my accent and viewed my passport, my situation changed for the worst,” she said.
“The officer stamped ‘denied entry’ in my book and he went further by saying that I’m going back on a Caribbean Airlines plane as soon as one is available and they will also call the authorities in Trinidad to deport me to Jamaica. When I asked what was the issue they said I should not have come there, I should have returned to Jamaica first. They asked for my marriage certificate, I showed them and they asked to see a return ticket and my sister sent it through WhatsApp and I showed them,” King went on.
But, according to King the real nightmare began when she was refused water to make tea for her baby and her suitcases were taken from her and her son and herself were “forced to sleep on the ground on a dirty mattress and sheet which was covered in hair.
“By this time it was about 3:00 am (Sunday morning) we still had nowhere to sleep and the baby was getting fussy. A kettle and a microwave was in full sight of me and I asked them for some warm water to make some tea for the baby and they said they can’t help me. The officer that was there asked if I had money and said I should put money into the vending machine and give the baby a juice.
“The baby’s diapers were soaked and the diapers in my handbag were already used up and they wouldn’t allow me to get my luggage to change him. Eventually we were forced to sleep on the ground on a dirty mattress and sheet which was covered in hair. My baby is asthmatic and he started coughing because he was cold. I felt like a animal, lower than dirt,” King said.
Moreover, she said when the flight back to Trinidad came and she was escorted by a security officer to the plane, a change of fate occurred, as the immigration officer informed the security to take her back to the immigration desk, where her no ‘entry stamp’ was cancelled and she was granted two days stay in Barbados.
But, despite being eventually being granted access to Barbados, King said she is calling on the foreign affairs ministers of both countries to intervene, as what she described as the inhumane behaviour towards Jamaicans by the Caribbean Community (Caricom) family was “unacceptable” and needed immediate attention.
There was no immediate response from Barbados Immigration.
Jamaicans and Guyanese nationals have, for years, complained that they have been singled out for harsh treatment whenever they arrive in Barbados.
King’s story comes three years after Shanique Myrie was awarded BD$77, 240 (US $38,620) in pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages, after she took her case to the Caribbean Court of Justice to seek redress.
Myrie accused a female immigration officer in Barbados of finger-raping her at the Grantley Adams Airport before she was locked up in a room overnight and sent back to Jamaica the following day.
The court found that Myrie had been wrongfully denied entry into Barbados, subjected to a humiliating cavity search and unlawfully detained overnight before being expelled from the country the following day.
Others such as Avia James have also complained of bad treatment by immigration officials in that country.
Under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and a 2007 Caricom decision, Caricom nationals are entitled to enter Caricom member states, “without harassment or the imposition of impediment, and to stay for up to six months.”
I said it before and will say it again. Without compulsory I will never step foot in Barbados. They might target Jamaicans and guyanese as the young lady said. But Barbadoes immigration had me a black (a Canadian) thinking that they simply do not like black people who are not from there visiting their island. They cater especialy to the white people. Even when you’re looking for someone to move your luggage they will ignore you and run and beg the white people for their service. Worst place I’ve ever visited, just thinking about it piss me off. I luv Rhi- Rhi but not even shi cudda mek me lef my yard a go dere.
Sorry the young lady and her baby has to go through that.
What an ordeal. What is in Barbados that not on another island? She should sue them. Is one thing to put an adult through that treatment, but to subject a baby to it as well. When dem nuh hab no reason to deny you entry dem start meck up shyt, which go back to Jamaica first and come to dere, you is tourist, you can transit through any entry point, you not an immigrant. Dem is one nation that could never get my money, di ongle island weh mi find remotely interesting fi visit now is Haiti, glad dem tourism on the rise.
A wah do dem mad people ya. Who treats a person with a baby that way. I hope she get every single name of who mistreat ar and sue dem one by one.
Can someone please tell me after all this ordeal she went through why the hell did this lady feel comfortable accepting two days inn a them country??? That’s were she went wrong because if it was me then they would have to keep them two days…. This is one reason I’ll never even consider entering this island. Imagine a baby!!!! A innocent child I can just imagine because the way how inna airport can cold, they’re wicked n evil.
Is dat dem will use seh dem granted her entry. You see how dem slick. Maybe for the sake of the baby and her own dignity to get a shower and such she took it, but she should not have!
Me not going to dem place, meck dem stay deh wid it. Cuba and Haiti right next door is just half hour to get to Santiago de Cuba from Kgn, and dem hab a richer culture, architecture and only organic foods. Cuba dirt cheap fi vacation, meck mi craving some Cuban black beans and rice now. Haiti tourism finally getting there and I would happily spend my money fi help mi neighbours and chill out ova deh.
Them no laaaawn…Stop go a di people dem country..how much baby press will it take for them to learn damn
I wonder what wilderbeeste Babsy ah go say bout dis.
Same like the other day I went Antigua and it was the same treatment they deny my entry but didn’t stamp my book and suppose yo see how them pull down all mi suitcase all mi phone the man ago tell mi fi mek dem search and trust me I never gwan good den ave we Inna the airport fi bout 2 hour straight is like them a force mi fi tell lie mi seh a bet if it was a white man or woman y’all wouldn’t be treating them the way you treating your own black and there was this one immigration officer sorry I never took her name she is a Christian and she ask me to calm down then I said you know what I don’t think I wanna enter this country again its a turn off just let me go home and they tried everything after to convince to stay telling that the other flight won’t be until Thursday and I landed there the Monday night but I’ve decided to just come back home because the way they treat u like criminals is almost unbelievably and one of the officer was like ok let she go by the center then and stay there for the couple a days and I did I’d never go back to Antigua never ever again it wasn’t worth I rather came back home with the money I had to spend there and spend it in jamaica i never had any problem visiting Barbados they were nice to me but if that’s where they let that lady and her child sleep in that cold room with chairs and a mattress in the ground then she need to sue them likewise Trinidad never had any problem with immigration either just dirty Antigua
I am sorry to hear about all this anger hurled at our immigration officials. Is there a plan aoot for persons to come to Barbados with little information on their reason for and their plans while they are in Barbados? Has the Myrie case stirred up all these plans? Let’s do the Visa thing. It will avoid much of these probems. What about our border controls. Are we not to have any? We have sold all our businesses to non-nationals. Ask those of us who received the payment how much we have in our possession now? Was the money not spirited away? May the Master Within each of us take control and all the anger will cease. The level of anger is too high and Barbadians need to be vigilant otherwise we could be putting ourselves in serious physical danger.
Visa to go where in our back yard? Barbados dont have no gold or diamonds so what kind of visa are you talking about? The lady was treated like shit and she had an infant and your despicable immigration officers fingered Ms Myrie, something your court found inappropriate …So visa to go where again? Barbados is NOWHERE
Let them do their visa it matters not to me, cause even if I was getting paid to enter Barbados I would not. Beautiful beautiful Portland and St.Ann can collect my Caribbean vacation dollars. Meck mi use mi money build up mi own than fi run guh build up ppl place weh hate mi. Meck mi guh build up mi island neighbours next door who could use it. I work too hawd fi guh spend my money where mi hated and unwanted.
Jamaica and Panama fi February 2017, and no set plans fi later part a di year, but one thing mi certain of, it won’t be Barbados :ngakak
What the hell is Annette Barker talking about? I met my husband almost 30 years ago and he from one of the other islands and his father side of the family is from Barbados. He had stories to tell. These people are prejudice even against their own colour. His father died three years ago and they were the worst of all the family who attended the funeral. The could speak to or associate with no one else but those from Barbados. I am Jamaican and in all the years I have known them they have never spoken to me, not even his father. They may speak at me or around me but not to me, period. My husband does not care for them either because he said they have been like this all his life. They refused to have his parents get married, first love and even after two children simply because she was from another island and not from Barbados. When I entered this country The Bajans were the only Island folks who did not speak to the Jamaicans and Trinindad second. It is a shame that Barbados sold their birthright to the British and is now crying fowl. Just as well since most of you hate your own colour anyway. The Bajans I have met here in Canada still prefers whites over blacks and are not afraid to say it either. I guess that’s all they know from back home. I tell you what us Jamaicans have our faults but you will never have our folks just generally sell out our own. We are just too proud.
I never hate a Caribbean Island like ow me hate Barbados. I had a two week contract with a client and couldn’t leave quick enough. Dull gully water food, people no ave any manners, de man dem a real pig, dem openly hate yard people, dem licky licky and kissy kissy de white people batty like slavery no done. The only nice thing was Grays beach and Batsheba. Damn place felt like aparthied South Africa.
Nowhere like yard !