The Caribbean states attract international migrants with beautiful beaches, tropical climate and natural diversity. The list includes holidayers, and notable people owning homes and vacations alongside of tax free benefits.
The COVID-19 pandemic has generated significant changes in mobility, migration and tourism patterns in the region. The pandemic has generated significant changes in mobility, migration and tourism patterns in the region. Border closures and travel restrictions have severely impacted many Caribbean economies that depend on tourism for jobs and overall economic well being. It is worth mentioning that many caribbean islands are vulnerable to yearly hurricanes and other disasters.
According to UN international migrant data, a total of 1.61 million immigrants living in the Caribbean region by 2020 (including intra-regional immigrants and immigrants from countries outside of the region). Of these 1.61 million, 46 per cent (approximately 746,000) were immigrants from outside the region, mostly from South America and Europe.
When it comes to citizenship, most Caribbean States grant citizenship at birth (jus soli), but this right is restricted in the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, and Suriname. Only 5 caribbean states offer instant citizenship for investments requiring atleast $100,000.
Most Popular
According to the UN data, the most popular caribbean islands for immigration are
- Dominican Republic
- Puerto Rico
- Guadeloupe
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Martinique
Least Popular
These are the least popular islands for immigration.
- Montserrat
- Cuba
- St Vincent
- Anguilla
- Grenada
The Graph shows immigration and emigration trends in the Caribbean region (Source: UN and IOM)
Below is the international immigration data for caribbean region with a breakdown by country
| Caribbean | International migration (2020) |
| Dominican Republic | 603794 |
| Puerto Rico* | 247132 |
| Guadeloupe* | 90206 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 78849 |
| Martinique* | 68624 |
| Bahamas | 63583 |
| Curaçao* | 57210 |
| United States Virgin Islands* | 56753 |
| Aruba* | 53593 |
| Barbados | 34869 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 29386 |
| Cayman Islands* | 29242 |
| Sint Maarten (Dutch part)* | 28845 |
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba* | 26221 |
| Turks and Caicos Islands* | 25748 |
| Jamaica | 23629 |
| British Virgin Islands* | 22164 |
| Haiti | 18884 |
| Saint Lucia | 8338 |
| Dominica | 8284 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 7725 |
| Grenada | 7213 |
| Anguilla* | 5715 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 4738 |
| Cuba | 3024 |
| Montserrat* | 1379 |
Source: IOM
