Five Things to Take Away from 2023

Time Magazine named Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley one of the 100 most influential people in 2022, recognizing her political advocacy on global issues, including climate change.

The awardee is one of the most vocal champions calling on wealthy nations, those most responsible for polluting the planet, to support countries facing greater vulnerability, permanent loss, or damage due to climate change. In her words: "Developing countries urge their richer neighbors to do more, given the wealth they have built over years of burning fossil fuels without restraint." In 2021 she helped launch the Bridgetown Initiative, a radical shift aimed at channeling funds quickly in support of climate adaptation. In 2023 she convened the summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris, advocating reform of multilateral development banks and lower costs for small island states. Some of these states, located in the Caribbean, are being severely challenged by climate change and natural disasters, leading to internal and international forced migration.

More migrants pushed to sea

Just as in the old continent, there is a rise in the forced displacement of "boat people," people pursuing a new life through highly risky maritime routes. We hope that receiving islands, in the case of the Caribbean, will welcome this population through a rights-based approach, saving lives or integrating those who risk everything, including pregnant migrant women, children, and adolescents. Most of those who undertake the journey by small boat want to reach the United States, but they also head to territories such as Jamaica, Mexico, the Cayman Islands, and others across the Caribbean Basin. On December 30, 2023, 10 Haitians were detained in Jamaica, the fifth group to land there in 2023. In less than eight hours they were returned to their country. Another group of 37 Haitians who arrived by sea in July is still awaiting news on its asylum request.

Haiti

In Haiti, internal displacement is significant, with at least 200,000 people in forced mobility, according to the relevant IOM matrix. The crisis in Haiti has a differentiated impact on children and adolescents, with 2.6 million of them urgently needing life-saving assistance in 2023 because of inadequate access to safe water, affordable food, basic health services, and protection from violence. The effects of chronic hunger and malnutrition, including weakened immunity and increased vulnerability to health problems, particularly affect the youngest. Added to this is gang violence, illustrated by an incident on December 25, 2023. UNICEF reported being deeply shocked and outraged by the horrific attacks perpetrated by an armed group against a family in Croix-des-Bouquets, where the group attacked mercilessly, causing the death of four people, including two innocent girls under the age of 10.

Borders in the spotlight

Venezuela and Guyana reached an agreement not to use force to resolve a territorial dispute over the Essequibo region, known for its oil reserves, after a tense meeting in the Caribbean. Guyanese President Irfaan Ali and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro agreed "not to threaten or use force under any circumstances... and to refrain, by actions or words, from escalating any conflict" at a press conference in December 2023, made possible through mediation by CARICOM and CELAC. Meanwhile, since mid-September, the Dominican-Haitian border became the scene of an island-wide dispute when the Haitian government announced its support for the construction of a canal that could divert water from the Massacre River shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Dominican President Luis Abinader immediately took extreme measures by closing the border for a month, with negative consequences for the economies on both sides, especially for small traders and border residents. Far from producing the desired effects, by the end of 2023 the dispute remained unresolved.

On the eve of elections

Elections and politics are always key, but 2024 will be an exceptional year. Elections in the United States will play a huge role in the region, not only regarding migration, but also on multiple issues that can encourage or discourage migration intentions. For the first time in 12 years, the United States and Mexico will hold elections at the same time, and the future of bilateral and regional cooperation will depend greatly on these results. Elections in the Dominican Republic have a lower profile, but they could also have implications for migration policy. Incumbent President Luis Abinader closed the border with Haiti and has led very restrictive policies that have been strongly criticized by human rights and civil society organizations. It remains to be seen whether the election campaign and the subsequent presidential period, whether led by Abinader or someone else, will maintain the same policies or become even more restrictive, recognizing that anti-Haitian sentiment is routinely instrumentalized for political ends.