Economist McCarthy Marie believes that migrants are helping to fill in the gap in Dominica, particularly among the youth.
He was speaking during the ‘Eggs & Issues Breakfast’ panel discussion on Migration and Economic Development: The Dominica Perspective held at the Prevo Cinemall on Wednesday.
It was organized by the Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce (DAIC) in partnership with the International Organization of Migration (IOM).
Its objectives are to understand the makeup of the migrant population in Dominica, discuss the effect of ongoing outward migration on Dominica’s development and to explore the contribution of inward migration to economic growth.
According to Marie, generally, migrants tend to work hard and whatever their level of education they will accept the jobs that are shunned.
“It’s good for us that we have migrants coming in, they fill in the gap, particularly in the youthful population and the population that is in the workforce,” he said.
He mentioned, in particular the Haitian population living in Dominica, stating that one of the things they bring to the country is “youth”.
“The Haitian brings youthful energy to us…,” Marie stated.
Meantime Officer-in- Charge of the OECS Competitive Business Unit (CBU) Ricardo James believes that being able to absorb migrants into the labour market is important.
He said quickly they become contributors to society and that they are able to “access the labour market.”
And Head of Office of the IOM, Natasha Greaves said by interacting and integrating migrants in society, “it allows for them to become stable, they feel comfortable and they feel safe.”
The DAIC and IOM believe the discussion is of vital importance, not only for Dominica’s economic development but also for the diversification of the private sector and civil society.
The discussion was also aimed at understanding the challenges faced by migrants in Dominica and to explore solutions in order to sensitize the Dominican community for enhanced integration and to explore communication mechanisms with migrants in emergency preparedness, response, and recovery.
Dominica is the gap.
To every ten (10) pregnant women at the hospital, seven (7) are Hatians…
McCarthy Marie is a deceptacon . our population is too small to have such a large influx of Hatians.
if we continue at that pace, we will become a minority in our DAM COUNTRY
PAY DOMINICANS WELL SO WE DON’T HAVE TO RUN FROM OUR COUNTRY
JUST NOW VOODOO WILL BE OUR RELIGION … IT IS SAID 90% OF HATIANS PRACTICE VOODOO IN HAITI… I WONDER WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THEM PRACTICE DOWN HERE.
DAM FOOLS WE ARE IN DOMINICA…
READ ABOUT THE HATIAN REVOLUTION AND U WILL KNOW ABOUT HATIANS
There is a direct correlation between high birth rates and poverty according to the ODI (Overseas Development Institute), particularly in Africa. I believe that we may see that manifested here.
Started off well but you lost us with the Haitian Revolution part. That should remain sacred, should never be mentioned in that context. The 1st group of people to free themselves from brutality Europeans were unleashing on millions of Black people that they turned into slaves. These African people were everybody; nurses, doctors, clergy men, farmers, children, millions of children, artists, builders, you name it. The Haitians feed themselves from that most terrible prolonged holocaust that ever happened to mankind, slavery by Europeans. Whether there were some sketchy details that helped them win in war against enslavement, I’m sure you’d agree that you would scratch and claw your way out to win your Freedom, or remain enslaved by Europeans. You may mean well but I’d try not to reference The Haitian Revolution so loosely. They defeated the Europeans but were punished with blockades and bullied into paying billions by the U.S and same Europeans. Peace brother or sister peace.
Correction: The Haitians ‘freed’ themselves…
Could this perhaps also explain the increase of increase in infant mortality reported for Dominica?
Marie presented population data making the point that the population in Dominica has been declining, 1) because Dominicans are migrating outward, and 2) those who are staying are having less children than the number of people dying every year. Also, the population is getting older, as most of the people leaving are of the productive age… One thing is for sure….we need more data to base our opinions and our
decisions on.
Is not that a problem all over the world…I can identify with what he is saying…As an immigrant in another mans country one thing that I know is a fact..People are getting lazier and lazier..They want all the nice things,phone ,cars,latest outfits but do not want to work..It’s like I always say to them in America…It’s like they’re saying give me the money but you can keep the work..When I moved to the U.S
I thought it was an American thing but then it broke my heart when I heard it’s now happening back home…We were trained to work hard and honest and I guess like everything else,,like the times even that is dying out too…Very sad…
I thought that the discussion was about Dominicans migrating… especially our youth.
So you saying that de Haitian youths are progressing and Dominican youths are reversing.
Now how does that affect our tax earnings and social security contribution.
Set a foundation for the youths…. because regardless of de Haitian youths taking de jobs that our youths shun…..de economy still getting progressively weaker.
I personally think that if de Haitians were contributing to the tax revenue and social security fund…… red clinic would be obsolete.
This is the problem with our society. Marie is making an assumption right there based on potential advantages of migration. Not because he is an economist he is right. What i would expect to see is the statistics he is basing those claims. For example how many migrants apply for work permits either directly or through employer. How many migrants come in with kids and how many registered in schools.hoe has the productive sector improve with migrant labour. How many employers indicated there was a labour shortage in Dominica and migrants are filling the positions. Are they being paid the prevailing wages or are they working for less than prevailing wages. Marie should know better than to make such claims without at least indicating what research he has done to support or where the statistics are. Migration also has negative impacts on health and economics. All that has to be based on facts and data. Show me the data. Some of us are not shallow readers. Show me results.
McCarthy, as far as I know is not a practicing economist. He might have done a degree in economics, but unless that is his profession, I dont consider him a professional. No different from someone who did a law degree but never practiced law and claiming to be a lawyer.
DNO should qualify that Marie is of the opinion ………. And do there own fact check. The story seems to indicate or give the impression it is coming from credible expert so it must be truth. Education does not seem to help us. Application is a challenge.
Well Mister calling himself an economist but I never seen him working nas a economist. Isn’t he his wife’s manager. Where did he study for that economist business. Don’t even know if mister was born here his wife came from Curacao.
Shaka, that’s what one would expect. You sound more like an economist than this economist dude.
I’m sorry but this flies in the face of the evidence I see. Why do we have so much unemployment that the government runs a NEP programme? On the other hand, cheap labour like the Haitians keep wages down, especially for developers under the CBI programme, who can freely keep their profits offshorei.The Haitians
have little purchasing power for local business, especially when they send their wages back home to help their families and pay back the loansharks that financed their trip here. I don’t know where Mark got his degree in economics but to me that is false economies.
true, I notice a lot of the young Haitian guys are doing construction, where’as the Dominican guys rather pull up on the block
Maybe you should consider the pay gap as well. The migrants will work or half what a Dominican will ask for. A Migrant will also accept half of that pay a Dominican wont.
where can we read the report, please post the address.
SHAKA,you are a HYPOCRIT.When KEN VITAL ASSUME 1.2 billion dollars was missing from the BUDGET you agreed 100%.Typical UWP LYING TRAITORS.
Oh it’s a party thing? I’m not for either party but that still doesn’t make “Mark the Economist” an economist.
Haiti has 10 million people, 10 million, you’ll be swallowed in short time. I love my Haitian brothers and sisters but be warned.
Probably should not waste time response. Not sure what that has to do with party. Nor am i sure how these two issues have any relationship. Tells you the one track mind and lack of analysis from the circus performers. Dominica will soon be a colony of haiti if we do not control this thing. Haiti can add 100k people to Dominica and thats a pinch in thier overpopulation. With Dominicans already scarce for resources not sure that is a good thing. Believe it or not migration of people is a natural phenomena as the spread of viruses and bacteria. They need host we need resources and a comfortable life.