In more recent history
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...
comparatively is experiencing increased levels of
immigration
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...
than some of its nearby neighbours in the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
region. The number of illegal Caribbean migrants in Barbados was estimated to be less than 10,000 individuals in the late 1990s, but between 2001-2009, the minister of immigration for the country stated that an estimated 30,000 Caricom nationals travelled to Barbados and did not leave.
History
The British that first landed in Barbados recorded that there were no persons living in Barbados at the time of landing at
James Town in the 17th century. The British Government next sent large numbers of persons from
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
and
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
to the island, many were indentured servants sent in order to work off or settle debts owed to the British Government.
In the years that followed,
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
migrants from the then
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
controlled areas of modern-day
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
sought safe passage to Barbados.
As the Jewish community brought their advanced agricultural technology to Barbados, plantations boomed with the introduction of
Sugar cane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalks t ...
. This led to large groups of
African people
The population of Africa has grown rapidly over the past century and consequently shows a large youth bulge, further reinforced by a low life expectancy of below 50 years in some African countries. Total population as of 2020 is estimated at ...
being brought to Barbados as slaves. Large numbers of African descendants began to outnumber the Europeans, who were represented by large numbers of
Irish people
The Irish ( ga, Muintir na hÉireann or ''Na hÉireannaigh'') are an ethnic group and nation native to the island of Ireland, who share a common history and culture. There have been humans in Ireland for about 33,000 years, and it has been c ...
from
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
was then under British rule.
Many European immigrants came to Barbados in the 19th and early 20th centuries: the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
,
Germans
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3,322,405
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,
Austrians
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,
Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
,
Italians
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, flag_caption = The national flag of Italy
, population =
, regions = Italy 55,551,000
, region1 = Brazil
, pop1 = 25–33 million
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,
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
and
Russians
, native_name_lang = ru
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emigrated to the island to escape World War II and the Cold war.
In the years that followed other groups of
Europeans
Europeans are the focus of European ethnology, the field of anthropology related to the various ethnic groups that reside in the states of Europe. Groups may be defined by common genetic ancestry, common language, or both. Pan and Pfeil (2004) ...
,
East Indians
The East Indians, also called East Indian Catholics or Bombay East Indians, are an ethno-religious Indian Christian community native to the Seven Islands of Bombay and the neighbouring Mumbai Metropolitan Area of the Konkan Division.
Histo ...
, and a small number of
Asians
Asian people (or Asians, sometimes referred to as Asiatic people)United States National Library of Medicine. Medical Subject Headings. 2004. November 17, 200Nlm.nih.gov: ''Asian Continental Ancestry Group'' is also used for categorical purpos ...
developed their own communities in Barbados in the late 20th century.
In April 2012 the Prime Minister of Barbados held the first official new citizens ceremony at the Llyod Erskine Sandiford Centre in St. Michael. In November 2012 the second new citizens' ceremony took place.
Travel to Barbados
Nationals of CARICOM member states, the USA, Canada, the UK, and some
Commonwealth countries
The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 56 sovereign states. Most of them were British colonies or dependencies of those colonies.
No one government in the Commonwealth exercises power over the others, as is the case in a po ...
can travel directly to Barbados with acceptable proof of
nationality
Nationality is a legal identification of a person in international law, establishing the person as a subject, a ''national'', of a sovereign state. It affords the state jurisdiction over the person and affords the person the protection of the ...
and identity (a valid passport from their country and/or original birth certificate with national photo identification) and may be admitted for a period not exceeding three months. All visitors are required to have onward or return tickets.
Recent information from the Immigration Department indicates that CARICOM skilled nationals are required to arrive in Barbados with return airline tickets until they have been formally registered with the Immigration Department as such. The registration process can take up to four weeks to complete, and includes submitting to the Immigration Department a registration form (available at the Immigration Department or at the BIDC), along with the following documentation:
Immigration & Work Permits
businessbarbados.com
*Four photographs
*Police certificate of character (from home country)
*Birth certificate
*Documentary proof of qualifications
*Letter from employer, where applicable
*Document certifying citizenship by descent, where necessary
See also
* Demographics of Barbados
This is a demography of Barbados including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Population
At the 2010 census Barbados had an estim ...
* Afro-Barbadian
Black Barbadians or African Barbadians are Barbadians of entirely or predominantly African descent.
92.4% of Barbados' population is black and 3.1% is multiracial based on estimates in 2010.
Origins
Most of the enslaved Africans brought to Ba ...
* Irish in Barbados ( Red Legs)
* Indians in Barbados
Indo-Barbadian or Indo-Bajan, refers to Barbadians of Indian ancestry, including from present-day Bangladesh and Pakistan. Currently, there is a 3,000-strong Indian community in Barbados.
History
Research has shown that the first known Muslim ...
* Jews in Barbados
* Barbadian people
Barbadians or Bajans
(pronounced ) are people who are identified with the country of Barbados, by being citizens or their descendants in the Barbadian diaspora. The connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Barba ...
, such as Barbadian Americans
Barbadian (or Bajan) Americans are Americans of Barbados heritage or ancestry. The 2000 Census recorded 53,785 US residents born on the Caribbean island 52,170 of whom were born to non-American parents and 54,509 people who described their ethnic ...
and Barbadian British
Barbadian British people, Bajan Brits or British Barbadians, are citizens or residents of the United Kingdom whose ethnic origins lie fully or partially in the Caribbean island of Barbados. The UK is home to the second largest Barbadian-born mig ...
.
* List of countries by foreign-born population
These are lists of countries by foreign-born population (immigrants) and lists of countries by number native-born persons living in a foreign country (emigrants).
According to the United Nations, in 2019, the United States, Germany, and Saudi Arab ...
*
References
External links
*
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados - Frequently Asked Questions
Comprehensive Review of Immigration Policy and Proposals for Legislative Reform
(Green Paper
In the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth countries, Hong Kong, the United States and the European Union, a green paper is a tentative government report and consultation document of policy proposals for debate and discussion. A green paper represen ...
), proposed Barbados Immigration law reform
The Barbados Tourism Authority
Visa form to Barbados
{{DEFAULTSORT:Immigration To Barbados