B&F Medical Complex, where your health comes first & people really cares.... We see all patients, no one is turned away.Please note for the holidays the Wickham's Cay office will be open on Monday from 7 am to 2 pm and the Pasea location will be open on Tuesday and Wednesday from 7am to 2 pm...

Sheep head & Goat head not the same

Thomas C. Famous. Photo: Provided
Thomas C. Famous

A Caribbean phrase often repeated by the elders when some things which may look similar, but are definitively not the same.

At the conclusion of the recent CARICOM 49th heads of Government meeting held in Montego Bay, Jamaica, it was stated that 4 Caribbean nations would embark on Freedom of Movement, effective October 1, 2025.

Those nations include The Republic of Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Diversity & Reality

The Caribbean consists of islands and countries of various sizes and populations. From Hispaniola with over 20 million persons to Saba with a population of less than 2,000 persons and everything in between.

We have a wide variety of economies ranging from Agriculture to Tourism and Financial services, with different cultures and subcultures.

In the smaller islands such as Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Virgin Islands, there are presently an ongoing set of challenges that are adversely affecting the generational islanders.

These include low birthrates; lack of affordable housing; as well as declining populations of generational islanders. In both the Cayman Islands and the Virgin Islands, belongers account for less than 35% of the total populations. This has created cause for concern that they are now irreversibly in the minority in their own islands.

Many are now competing with guest workers for employment and livable wages. Compounding this issue is that housing and home ownership for the working and middle class have become increasingly unaffordable, with many reduced to becoming lifelong renters at best.

Unlimited and unrestricted migration from other islands will cause immediate upward pressure for housing on islands that have limited land space. Unrestricted labour influx would cause the wages in many professions to stagnate.

Unrestricted residency rights will lead to native persons further becoming minorities in their own islands.

In other small islands, there are infrastructure challenges with adequate water and power supply. Any significant population increases would demand immediate costly investment in expanding these services or risk water shortages and power brown outs.

So, for the persons in those islands and those that represent them in their respective parliaments, the logistics of Freedom of Movement is not really appealing to them at this point in history. Effectively, proposing uncontrolled immigration would end political aspirations for many.

Contrast & Compare

Freedom of Movement will have its benefits where and when properly prescribed. An example would be a need for more hospitality workers in Barbados resulting in increased remittances to Dominica. There will be those countries which will have net positives.

Freedom of movement cannot adversely affect larger countries such as; Belize, Jamaica, Guyana or Trinidad and Tobago. It is simply logistically impossible for them to run out of land space or for the native persons in those countries to become the minorities in their own lands.

Simply put, one size does not fit all. As Granny says, “Sheep Head and Goat head are not the same.”

5 Responses to “Sheep head & Goat head not the same”

  • jack (24/07/2025, 16:48) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    Another good read
  • my thoughts (24/07/2025, 22:18) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Larger countries can also be adversely affected - it's not simply about overall population numbers, even though that's important. Attention must also be given to the various job sectors so that overseas workers do not swamp particular areas and leave locals out in the cold. There should be quotas established to determine when certain fields of employment are reaching saturation point.
  • Spa (25/07/2025, 05:30) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    This is the best article Vino has ever published. I enjoyed it. It is well put together. The social and ethnological facts are well-articulated. Well done, Mr. Thomas.
  • Especially in Tola (25/07/2025, 13:08) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Word true to the letter T.
  • Paull (25/07/2025, 16:26) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    “ Many are now competing with guest workers for employment and livable wages. Compounding this issue is that housing and home ownership for the working and middle class have become increasingly unaffordable, with many reduced to becoming lifelong renters at best“

    Our political leaders, past and present are to be blame for this. The majority of students in all our schools have expatriate parents. The majority of our workforce is expatriate. The majority of our police are expatriate. They should have implement a seven year maximum work permit scheme long time ago. Every couple months they are handing out over 100 residency. I love everyone but I love the Virgin Islands more and want to see 5th generation Virgin Islanders take their rightful place.


Create a comment


Create a comment

Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.
BVIAA - Video


Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.