Britain’s Reform UK party announced on Tuesday that it was proposing to deny visas to people from countries seeking reparations for transatlantic slavery, a move swiftly condemned by the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) reparations commission, calling the move “a legacy of toxic racism”.
The anti-immigrant and populist Reform UK party, which has just eight MPs but is leading according to polls ahead of elections expected by 2029, has said it will “block visa applications from any country that demands reparations for slavery”, including former British Empire Commonwealth countries such as Ghana and Jamaica, Reuters reports.
Zia Yusuf, the Reform UK party’s head of home affairs policy, said the reparations demands were “insulting” because they “ignore the fact that Britain “made great sacrifices to be the first major power to outlaw slavery and to enforce that ban”.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the African Union and several Latin American countries have demanded reparations not only for historical injustices, but also for their long-term consequences, including racial inequalities and economic backwardness.
Reparations moves, including formal apologies, financial compensation and the return of stolen artefacts, have gained traction in recent years, although opposition is also growing.
Several Western leaders have opposed even discussing the topic, arguing that today’s states and institutions should not be held responsible for the past. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would rather “look ahead” than have “endless discussions about reparations for the past”.
Reacting to the proposal by Reform UK, Hilary Beckles, chairman of the CARICOM-backed reparations commission, said the party should “reconsider” its position, calling it “tragic” that people seeking justice should be punished.
– The re-punishment of the victims is actually in line with those who, at the time of the liberation of the slaves, did not want the African people to be freed – said Beckles at the press conference.
Beckles added that “the legacy of toxic racism remains so intense that black people are seen as undeserving” of reparations.
Reform UK did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last month, the United Nations adopted a resolution proposed by Ghana, declaring transatlantic slavery the “greatest crime against humanity” and calling for reparations, while former colonial powers including Britain abstained.
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
