The CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC) has strongly condemned a proposal by Britain's right-wing Reform UK party to suspend all new visas for nationals of Antigua and Barbuda and 18 other Caribbean nations pursuing slavery reparations claims.
According to Antigua News Room, Reform UK's so-called "Reparations Lock" would apply to work, study, family, and visitor visas. Party spokesperson Zia Yusuf described reparations claims as "insulting," arguing that Britain deserves credit for abolishing slavery rather than facing financial accountability for it.
CRC Chairman Professor Sir Hilary Beckles sharply criticised the proposal, calling it a continuation of "toxic racism." He warned that punishing victims who seek justice echoes the very arguments used to oppose emancipation in 1833. Beckles also highlighted a critical historical detail: the 1833 Emancipation Act compensated slave owners — not the enslaved — and forced formerly enslaved people into four years of unpaid labour to effectively fund their own freedom.
Other senior CRC officials pushed back against Reform UK's characterisation of British benevolence. Dobrene O'Marde and Professor Verene Shepherd both emphasised the profound historical and regional sacrifices made in the struggle to achieve emancipation, directly challenging the party's narrative.
The CRC reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing reparatory justice through government-to-government dialogue and called on European leaders to engage constructively on the issue. The debate is expected to feature prominently at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, scheduled to take place in Antigua and Barbuda later this year, where the CRC plans to host a major reparations event.
