The Caribbean Migration Consultations (CMC) was formally launched in January 2016 in Belize City, with the inaugural meeting bringing together government representatives from across the Caribbean region, international organizations including IOM and UNHCR, and civil society organizations. The CMC built on earlier informal consultative processes to create a structured, sustained regional dialogue platform specifically designed for Caribbean migration governance needs.
The Caribbean region has long been characterized by extraordinary levels of human mobility. Historically shaped by the forced migration of enslaved Africans, the indentured labour of South and East Asians, and the colonial-era movement of European settlers, the Caribbean has evolved into one of the world's most migration-intensive regions. Today, Caribbean people are among the most geographically mobile in the world, with large diaspora communities in North America, Europe, and other Caribbean territories maintaining deep ties to their origin communities.
The CMC pursues a core mission of improving migration governance across the Caribbean region through facilitated regional dialogue, knowledge exchange, and capacity building. Specific objectives include:
The CMC operates through a multi-stakeholder structure that includes government representatives from participating Caribbean states, international organization partners (IOM, UNHCR, ILO and others), civil society organizations working on migration issues, and academic and research institutions. The platform is organized around ten thematic networks covering the major dimensions of Caribbean migration, each bringing together specialists in specific areas including human trafficking, labour migration, diaspora engagement, refugee protection, environmental migration, and migration data.
An annual plenary meeting brings together representatives from across the CMC's network to review progress, exchange learning, and set priorities for the coming year. Between plenary meetings, thematic networks organize workshops, training events, and knowledge-sharing activities that keep the platform active and engaged throughout the year.
The online platform you are visiting serves as the digital hub for the CMC's work — providing access to migration research, country profiles, thematic resources, and the blog contributions from network members and migration specialists. The platform is designed as an open-access resource for anyone working on or interested in Caribbean migration, whether government officials, researchers, civil society workers, journalists, or members of the general public.
For inquiries related to Caribbean migration data, research resources, platform content, or partnership opportunities, please reach out to our editorial team.
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