The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat and the Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC), convened eight national-level consultations with more than 127 civil society organizations (CSOs) across the Caribbean in July 2025. These consultations are critical to shaping the forthcoming CARICOM Migration Policy Framework, which aims to establish a coordinated and human rights-based regional approach to migration governance in the region. The CSO consultations, and events held by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to consult with labour unions and employers, are part of technical support being provided to CARICOM in coordination with the UN Network on Migration (UNNM).

IOM held three in-person consultations in Barbados, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia, while five were conducted virtually with stakeholders in Belize, Guyana, Suriname,  The Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago. These dialogues brought civil society leaders together to share insights and priorities related to migration trends, migrant protection, service delivery, and policy development within their local, rural, and niche community contexts.

Gabrielle Gay, founder of the Erline Bradshaw Foundation in Barbados, explained the role of CSOs “we’re going into the schools, we’re going into the communities, actually understanding what’s happening and capturing that qualitative data that may not be readily available, particularly in the Caribbean where we suffer from a lack of statistical and empirical data. So, you know, CSOs can work together with CARICOM, with United Nations and all the partner bodies to ensure that a full 360° perspective is captured.”

Nancy Pinchas from the Council for Voluntary Social Service in Jamaica further noted that “Whenever any piece of legislation that involves individuals and people and their social and economic conditions is being formulated or amended, civil society is the intermediary between government and individuals. Civil society organizations are representative across all sectors, all demographics, all marginalized individuals as well as individuals with other physical disabilities. So what it does, is it represents all these various and diverse groups in their interests, their peculiarities, and just ensures that whatever legislation and or policies that are being developed, these interests are enshrined in these documents.”

Migration and human mobility interact with society at all levels, from central governments to local communities and neighborhoods. “Civil society organizations are deeply embedded in Caribbean communities and are often the most informed about the realities migrants face,” said Eraina Yaw, IOM Deputy Coordinator for the Caribbean and Head of Office, Guyana. “Their proximity and trust within these communities allow them to respond quickly, advocate effectively, and ensure migrants are seen, heard, and supported.”

The consultations reflect a whole-of-society approach, highlighting the concerns and experience of civil society actors who work directly with migrants and other communities. Through these sessions, IOM and partners aim to strengthen localization and collaboration, and identify practical actions, informed by experience on the ground, that will strengthen the development of the CARICOM Migration Policy Framework and its Plan of Action.

This initiative is made possible through generous funding from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The overall migration policy development process is also supported by the European Union Building Migration Partnerships programme and coordinated in partnership with the United Nations Network on Migration.

A synthesis of outcomes from these consultations will be shared with the wider civil society community and directly feed into the drafting and finalization of the CARICOM Migration Policy Framework, expected later this year.