Here we go again...another incident in Trinidad and Tobago where Jamaicans were treated poorly. In this matter, the Jamaican women entering the country were made to sleep on a hard floor and given only a bottle of water before deporting them back to Jamaica. This kind of disrespectful reaction to Jamaicans is not a typical reaction that would be shown to immigrants from CARICOM countries who enter Jamaica. Such incidents generate the question as to why Jamaica, the most popular and dominant English speaking country of all the Caribbean countries, should continue to issue CARICOM passports or remain a full fledge or even a member of CARICOM. The Jamaica Manufacturing Association (JMA) also presents a list of concerns that the Jamaican exporters experience while doing business with Trinidad. The treatment of Jamaicans by CARICOM countries in general does not indicate that these countries want to engage with Jamaica in working towards a unified Caribbean. It clearly shows that most islands that are separated from Jamaica by their south eastern location want to maintain a close relationship with people in that region but not with Jamaica that is located in the distant north western region. Furthermore, while Bahamas is not located in the eastern region of the Caribbean and is not considered a full fledge member of CARICOM, it, as a Caribbean nation, is renown for its draconian treatment towards not only Jamaicans but people of other Caribbean countries since others are not considered "Bahamian" even by birth. For Jamaica, it is full time to review the CARICOM agreement and disassociate with the regions in the aspects of the agreement that are simply not working. It is time to move on!
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