‘Hassle-free’ travel a concern

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Prime Minister Freundel Stuart last night voiced concern about the implications of the Caribbean Court of Justice’s (CCJ) recent ruling, saying an automatic six-month stay for CARICOM nationals visiting Barbados would attract the unemployed and criminals.
However, he told Barbadians to respect the ruling in the Shanique Myrie case, saying Barbados was not “any banana, plantain or fig republic” but “a country governed by the rule of law”.
He also urged Customs, Immigration and police officers at the border not to interpret the court’s reference to “hassle-free” travel in CARICOM so loosely “that people can walk through the airport without anybody asking them anything” for fear of being sued.