Caribbean Countries to Negotiate Slavery Reparations During UK Visit

(Patria) - A delegation from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Reparations Commission will discuss historical injustices of slavery and colonialism, as well as their lasting consequences, with officials and politicians in the United Kingdom this week, Reuters reported.

At least 12.5 million Africans were abducted, forcibly transported on European ships, and sold into slavery from the 15th to the 19th century. Advocates say measures are needed to confront the lasting legacy, such as racism.

Calls for reparations have gained momentum worldwide, particularly among CARICOM, a group of fifteen member states that includes Barbados and Jamaica, and the African Union (AU).

CARICOM has a reparations plan, which includes calls for a full and formal apology, educational programs, debt cancellation, and monetary compensation, while the AU is developing its own.
Negative reactions against reparations are also growing, with many European leaders having opposed even discussing them. Opponents argue that today's countries and institutions should not be held responsible for historical injustices.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated ahead of the Commonwealth summit in Samoa last year that he would rather look forward than engage in "very long, endless discussions about reparations for the past".

However, at the end of the summit, leaders of the 56-member group, headed by British King Charles, agreed to include in their final communiqué that the time had come to discuss the issue.

The CARICOM commission's visit will take place from November 17 to 20 and aims to "strengthen strategic partnerships and promote a joint public education and engagement program on the reparations agenda," according to a media advisory.

A 2025 poll commissioned by The Repair Campaign revealed gaps in public knowledge about the UK's role in slavery and colonialism, with 85% of respondents unaware that the country forcibly deported over three million Africans to the Caribbean.