St Kitts-Nevis Ambassador to US expresses concerns with growing global militant nationalism

St. Kitts and Nevis’ Ambassador to the United States (Washington, DC), Her Excellency Dr. Thelma Phillip-Browne, has expressed concern over what she terms a growing rejection of globalization around the world that has led to some countries promoting strict nationalism and developing a hardline immigration stance that have resulted in the deportation of illegal immigrants and a rise in protectionist policy.

During a press conference with the diplomatic and consular corps accredited to St. Kitts and Nevis on the 8th of April at the St. Kitts Marriot Resort as part of the Diplomatic Week 2019 (April 7-12) under the theme “Securing a Resilient Future through Strategic Diplomacy and Effective Dialogue”, Her Excellency Dr. Thelma Phillip-Browne expressed that there is a climate of change with respect to globalization.

“Yes, we know that there is an anti-immigrant sentiment. I usually say that there is … climate change issues and there is a climate of change in the world as I have alluded to before perhaps as a backlash to globalisation.”

She expressed that people’s rejection of globalisation comes out of their opinion and feelings that they have not benefited from globalization, thus leading them to their decision of carrying an anti-immigration sentiment leading to a more nationalistic stance and pushing a protectionist policy.

“Severe poverty has gone from one in four to one in ten, but everybody has not felt that they have benefited from it, and so you have a lot of rise in populism, nationalism, protectionism … and sometimes these things come out whether it is the Windrush situation or the illegal immigrant situation; these things come out and this will come to pass,” Ambassador Dr. Phillip-Browne said.

In answering a question about the challenges citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis face with regards to the issue illegal immigrants, Her Excellency expressed that she has been working to encourage persons to get their legal immigrant status, as well as abiding by the laws of the US.

“We have seen a rise in the number of illegal immigrants that are being deported. We must remember that what we are trying to do … is to encourage persons who are there to get the legal immigrant status,” Ambassador Dr. Phillip-Browne said.

Ambassador Phillip Browne said that one of the things that the embassy is doing is to encourage citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis not to run afoul of the law. She also said that strengthening relationships with the Diaspora requires that the embassy finds out where people are so that when people get “in trouble with the law, we can have people who intervene and find support for them.”