Hon. Alva Baptiste Minister for Foreign Affairs and Parliamentary Representative for Laborie is urging Saint Lucians to practice caution following the announcement of visa-free travel to Canada for eligible citizens.
In a Monday morning briefing, Baptiste says that citizens should exercise an abundance of caution when visiting other countries which would in turn minimize the possibility of consequences such as putting restrictions on citizens.
“I will always say to Saint Lucian’s to exercise an abundance of caution when you visit other countries, how you behave in those countries.. because we try to create opportunities for ourselves, we want to visit more developed countries some of us would want to take up residence there. So you conduct yourself accordingly. So I always encourage Saint Lucians at home and abroad to be law-abiding citizens and I think if we observe that particular aspect of things it would minimize the possibility of such consequences.” he said to reporters.
On Tuesday, June 6th, 2023 it was announced that eligible citizens from Saint Lucia would now qualify for visa-free travel to Canada. Citizens from Saint Lucia who have either held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or who currently hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa can now apply for an eTA, instead of a visa when traveling to Canada by air.
The minister says this has been an ongoing mission for this administration and the past, to have the visa facilities which were imposed to be removed.
“From the time the visa facilities were imposed many years ago we have been working assiduously and tirelessly towards removing these visa facilities and I’m sure successive Saint Lucian administrations with their council general in Canada would be pursuing that particular aspect of things. When I was foreign minister we pursued it, I’m sure the last administration in their conversations with Canada would have raised that particular matter.” he disclosed.
Baptiste says a meeting in the Bahamas was held with the Canadian Prime Minister in which the visa issue was the focal point.
“We had a focus meeting where the heads of CARICOM met with the Prime Minister of Canada in the Bahamas and the visa issue was of central importance to them. There were some candid exchanges between the leaders of the region and the prime minister of Canada and he promised to address it very seriously as to see what could be done and obviously, we see today that particular decision by Canada being an offspring of hard work on the part of Saint Lucia professionals and successive Saint Lucian administrations who wanted to see the visa facilities removed.” the Laborie MP said.
He says this is the first step to have the visa facilities dismantled and the further dismantling of it is the ultimate goal.
He urges Saint Lucians to stay away from trouble which would in turn make the dismantling of the visa facilities possible.
Photo: Wikipedia
