WEBINAR 1: US Deportations and Their Impact on the Caribbean

This inaugural webinar, hosted in partnership with the Caribbean Policy Consortium (CPC), launched the DWB-CARICOM series following an agreement with CARICOM leadership at the UN General Assembly in September 2024. The series aims to provide joint training and symposiums on key issues for the Caribbean region.

Panelists: Ms. Roberta Clarke (DWB, Inter-American Human Rights Commission), Dr. Natalie Dietrich-Jones (UWI, Jamaica), Prof. Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith (CPC, CSIS). Moderator: Dr. Jessica Byron-Reid (UWI, CPC).

Topics included: US executive orders on immigration, deportation statistics (over 97,000 Caribbean nationals identified for removal, including 42,000 from CARICOM), regional preparedness, reintegration challenges, legal protections, economic and social impacts, and the need for a coordinated CARICOM response.

Outcomes: 100+ participants from government, academia, and civil society; catalyzed regional migration diplomacy; informed CARICOM summit preparations; and established a framework for regional cooperation on deportation challenges.