Not All Of Us Are Sleeping!
The Freedom of Movement Bill — A Dangerous Shortcut to Undermining Democracy While it is not unusual for legislation to be passed with retroactive effect, the recent handling of the Freedom of Movement Bill raises serious questions about the haste, secrecy, and special treatment surrounding this particular piece of legislation.
Leader of the Opposition, the Honourable Ralph Thorne, K.C., in responding to the lead presentation by Minister of Home Affairs, Wilfred Abrahams, challenged the government to explain its undue rush and to show the people of Barbados the respect they are owed when it comes to matters as sacred as citizenship and sovereignty.
In August 2025, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley announced that, effective October 1st, citizens of Dominica, Belize, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines would be allowed to move freely in and out of Barbados. Following legitimate legal and constitutional concerns raised by the Opposition Democratic Labour Party, the Prime Minister later declared in a public broadcast that these citizens would be entitled to the same rights as Barbadians—to work, to access health care, and to receive education in Barbados.
This announcement was not preceded by any consultation with the Social Partnership, far less with the general public. Yet, on October 13th, the government brought the Bill before Parliament, and on October 1st, even before debate had begun, the Prime Minister’s directive was already being enforced. Citizens from the named countries were granted indefinite stay, instructed to register with the Electoral and Boundaries Commission and the National Insurance Department, and were treated as de facto residents—all without the passage of law. The Minister’s directive to the Chief Immigration Officer—a public servant bound by ministerial instruction—effectively bypassed Parliament and the Constitution. This is not governance; this is rule by decree. Barbadians have grown weary of this government’s practice of making far-reaching policy decisions without debate, without transparency, and without consent. With an overwhelming parliamentary majority, the Mottley administration behaves as though it is accountable to no one. The result is a pattern of arrogant unilateralism—a government that commits the country to binding actions and treaties without public scrutiny or democratic participation.
To this day, Barbados functions as a republic without a republican constitution—a constitutional vacuum that has allowed the government to operate as an elected dictatorship. Parliament, the guardian of our freedoms, has been reduced to a stage-managed performance—a rubber stamp for the Prime Minister’s will. Parliament, as John Diefenbaker reminds us, “is the custodian of the people’s freedom.” It is also, as Ziauddin Sardar wrote, “the supreme decision-making and legislative body of any democracy.” Yet under this administration, Parliament no longer reflects the collective desires of the people—it reflects the private ambitions of one person. While most Barbadians remain supportive of regional integration, they are rightly alarmed at the contemptuous and autocratic style that now defines governance in this country. This pattern fits what political scholars call “salami tactics”—the slow slicing away of democratic freedoms, each cut appearing small and harmless, but collectively resulting in the silent erosion of democracy itself. As described in The Dictator’s Playbook (2023), this incremental dismantling of norms makes democratic backsliding especially insidious, for it uses the very institutions of democracy to destroy democracy. Barbadians owe Ralph Thorne a profound debt of gratitude for his legal scholarship, moral courage, and patriotic conviction. His decision to break from the Barbados Labour Party and to stand as Leader of the Opposition was not one of convenience, but of conscience. He has chosen to defend the rule of law, the integrity of Parliament, and the rights of Barbadian citizens—values that once defined our political culture but are now under siege.
We ignored the warnings of former Prime Minister Owen Arthur, who cautioned this nation about the dangers of one-person rule. Today, we see the consequences of that neglect. Barbados stands at a crossroads—between constitutional democracy and creeping authoritarianism.
Dr. Derek Alleyne
October 14, 2025
