The Premier and Minister of Finance of the Virgin Islands, Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), has stated that the Virgin Islands will not participate in the free movement of Caribbean nationals if it is accepted as a full member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Photo: Facebook

The Virgin Islands, along with the Turks and Caicos Islands, Anguilla, and Bermuda, is seeking to advance its associate membership within the 15-member CARICOM grouping, with Bermuda already receiving approval from the United Kingdom. Photo: Facebook

Heads of Government and the CARICOM Secretary-General pause for a photo opportunity before their Leaders' Retreat on February 26, 2026. Photo: CARICOM

In an interview with the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) on Thursday, he explained, "People of the Associate Territories, the Associate Members of CARICOM, must understand that the situation is going to be different for those territories that are under differing administrative powers. In our case, it is the United Kingdom, and so full membership for us will look different than it looks like for an independent sovereign country and even the independent sovereign countries. Not all of them have signed up to the freedom of movement, and freedom of movement will be one of the areas that we will not sign up to."

VI & 3 other Associate Members seeking full membership

The Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Anguilla, and Bermuda are seeking to advance their Associate Membership within the 15-member CARICOM grouping, with Bermuda already receiving approval from the United Kingdom.

Bermuda has also indicated that it will not accept the issue of freedom of movement under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), citing its small size and the challenges of managing open borders.

The Virgin Islands joined as an Associate Member in July 1991.

VI will not participate in free movement 

Premier Wheatley added that most other areas will be able to fully participate in free movement; however, because the Virgin Islands is not an independent sovereign country, matters concerning freedom of movement, security, and certain aspects of foreign policy are not within their jurisdiction to decide within the community.

According to an article by the Jamaica Gleaner, the Premier further stated, “We don’t anticipate having freedom of movement, and I don’t think all the members of the OECS will have freedom of movement. I think the freedom of movement is something we will have to look at carefully, because while we may favour it from an ideological standpoint, we have to ensure that some of the smaller countries, territories where persons may want to come to, and to be able to work and not overwhelm, because we have finite and limited resources”. 

He emphasised that, for instance, over 70 percent of the Virgin Islands’ workforce is comprised of individuals from outside the territory, indicating that they already have some degree of freedom of movement.