BERMUDA-Debate continues over Bermuda’s move to seek full membership of CARICOM.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – The main opposition One Bermuda Alliance (OBA) says Bermudians deserve clear answers and the right to have their voices heard through a referendum before any final decision is taken on the island seeking full membership of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping.

“Let me be clear. This is not about rejecting the Caribbean. It is well known that many Bermudian families, including my own, share cultural, sporting, historical, and community ties across the region,” said Dwayne Robinson, the Shadow Minister of Home & Community Affairs.

In a statement, he said that these ties matter, and they should be respected, nurtured, taught about in our schools, and strengthened.

“Cultural connection is not the same as full membership of CARICOM. The question before Bermuda is practical. What does it cost? How will our Government navigate the current geo-political climate within the Caribbean region? What new benefits would Bermudians receive that we do not already have as an Associate Member?

‘Do Bermudians support full membership of CARICOM in 2026? To date, the Government has been unclear, while we are waiting for definitive answers,” Robinson said, adding that the OBA “believes Bermuda’s current Associate Membership is the most suitable for us”.

He said it allows the British Overseas Territory “to maintain regional relationships while protecting our unique economic, constitutional, immigration, and labor realities”.

Home Affairs Minister Alexa N. H. Lightbourne said that on May 31, this year, her ministry closed its consultation on CARICOM.

“Bermuda, you shared your views, filled Centennial Hall, St James Church Hall, and Penno’s Wharf. Many participated in the survey at togetherforcaricom.gov.bm. You asked about the cost, the timing, and whether membership means open borders.

“Every concern raised is on the record, and they will be answered as part of the White Paper. It will also carry the consultation summaries, the United Kingdom’s feedback, and the outcomes of meetings held with the CARICOM Secretariat,” she said.

Lightbourne said that “for most of us, CARICOM is not the issue keeping us awake at night. The cost of living, grocery prices, healthcare expenses, and affordable housing are what many are focused on.

“That reality is what brings us to the conversation about CARICOM. Not because CARICOM is a solution to every problem, but because responsible leadership requires us to examine every opportunity, every partnership and every tool that might help us build a stronger future for Bermudians.”

“Let me share a picture I have carried since this consultation began. One afternoon I sat on a beach in St George’s and watched a ferry cross the harbor just as a cruise ship came up the channel. But beside that ship, she looked like what she is: a boat made for a world that ends at the reef line.

“She never contemplates her own size. She has no reason to, until something larger crosses her bow. Bermuda has sailed her own waters for so long that we have started mistaking the reef line for the horizon. All around us, the region moves at scale: in trade, climate, food, and security. This consultation was the crossing,” Lightbourne said, asking, “So, what must we do?

“We are standing at a fork in the road, and we can take one of two paths. One path says Bermuda should continue relying solely on the tools and relationships we have today.

“The other says we should carefully examine whether stronger regional partnerships could create new opportunities, strengthen our resilience and better protect Bermudian interests. That does not mean abandoning who we are,” the Home Affairs Minister added.

Robinson noted that the Government touting a “stronger voice for Bermuda as a reason for becoming full members of CARICOM does not match our current constitutional reality.

“Bermuda would face many restrictions as a full CARICOM member because we are still an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. As such, it constitutionally has the authority over our foreign affairs, defense, and internal security. We would be forced to abstain on many votes within CARICOM but still pay for full membership.”

He said that unless the ruling Progressive Labor Party (PLP) intends to change that, and if this is indeed the case, Premier David Burt “should be honest with the people of Bermuda.

“As it stands right now, we would just be increasing our expenditure for another level of limited participation. These facts cannot be brushed aside with slogans.”

He said the Government must also explain the cost, adding that the “minister has already backpedaled on the estimate printed in the Government’s own Green Paper.

“Bermudians are already facing pressure from housing, healthcare, groceries, transport, education, and the wider cost of living. If the Government wants Bermuda to take on new obligations, it must show the public what we will receive in return in clear, measurable terms.

“This is not fear-mongering. It is responsible scrutiny, as it affects the lives of everyday Bermudians,” Robinson said, adding, “it is not anti-Caribbean to ensure Bermudians are getting a good deal.

“It is not anti-Caribbean to ask for a cost-benefit analysis. It is not anti-Caribbean to ask whether Bermuda’s immigration, labor, financial services, and constitutional positions may change if we take this decision.

“Respecting the Caribbean and demanding answers from our own Government are not contradictions. The OBA is simply asking for clarity before commitment and the right for Bermudians to make this critical choice for themselves.”

Lightbourne said that Bermudians have never been afraid to examine new ideas when they believe those ideas can strengthen the country.

“That is why, sixty-three years ago, Bermudians who believed this island belongs to all of us founded a party and put their purpose in its name. Progressive. Labour. Progress is in our name because progress is the assignment,” she said, adding “beyond this place of doubt and delay, the future is ours to author. We are the masters of our fate. We are the captains of our soul”.