All Barbadians should object. How can a country that has over relied on the tourism sector since the 60s have good reason for any hotel to apply for a Group Executive Chef? We know Bernie Weatherhead has enjoyed favoured status under BOTH governments but enough is enough.
In the interest of transparency can we ask @wilfredabrahams if any special considerations accompanied the work permit application?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Get one from St Vincent or Dominica or even Belize and you would need no work permit at all!
@John A
Tourism is not the mainstay of the economy of the three countries you mentioned
google.
hotel executive chef job description
But do bajans chefs go to Miami every year and win gold or silver for the dishes they prepare
@ David
This whole work permit thing is a joke as it depends on who applies. Who is the constriction company that got to import all the South American construction workers that been here a few months already?
@John A
The construction sector along with tourism are powering GDP growth. What choice do we have but to import labour to satisfy demand?
It is frightening when inmates in the asylum begin to make more sense than the asylum management.
Of course, you will find one inmate who will try to explain away the madness. See above.
@ David
My question to you and others is do we have a shortage of workers, or is there a shortage of our Bajan workers who want to work for what the South Americans are being paid, which is rumored to be $60BDS a day?
Has ANY union ordered a labour audit of their members locally to confirm these claims of shortages, or is it a case of some “special” people saying so and others jumping on the bandwagon too? Why have I not heard the unions rebuttle to this claim? Is it that they have been “encouraged” to not get involved?
You see unlike others I don’t believe what people tell me unless they can provide clear independent data to support their claim. To date I have see no such data hence will pay little notice to their claims. Finally I encourage all.of wunna to pass up in front of Coverly as the new extension is being built and see how few workers are needed in the process of slab erected buildings.
The question here is who is the real shepherd and who are the sheep in Bim?
@John A
There is anecdotal data to suggest local artisans are unreasonable expensive, are unreliable and deliver poor workmanship. Have you tried at the household level to contract a plumber or electrician recently?
Why is a black majority sovereign country recruiting south American migrants. For the record, these people are extreme racists towards their own black skinned people whom live amongst them on that continent.
Are we so dim that we appear reluctant to carry out our own research. Pick any country within the Americas and you will find these Latinos/south Americans do not share our views on racial inclusiveness. They have vile thoughts towards blacks. Why in God’s name are we opening the doors to these people? KEEP THEM OUT!!!!
If Hispanic Americans have no respect for foundational black Americans how the hell do you believe they will treat docile black bajans?
@ David
That excuse has passed its used by date in 2025. We have the skills training, the polytechnic and other entities here to train. Are we going to dismiss the local artisans because of a few bad apples and say “to shite wide dem,” while importing labour, many of whom can not even speak English?
My friend take a drive through Sandy Lane and look at houses like Humming Bird Hill and The Great House in St Peter, to mention a few recently built here to see the quality that Bajans can produce. Yes we got some lazy useless ones too, but they can easily be weeded out in such a small island. Do you know some of the most expensive homes in the Grenadines had Bajan input? We can’t just write off our own people and discard them, while importing cheap labour who will work for less. How can we ever encourage our young people into construction with a days pay of $60 BDS? We protect our tee shirt sector here with high tariffs ( Trumpy word for duties) so why don’t we protect the construction jobs of our own people? What I see here is a few construction Czars looking to protect their profits and looking for any excuse that would help in this. Did not Sandals build both hotels in St Lawrence Gap with local companies and labour?
All I call hear in my head is Errol Barrow’s voice saying one day we will wake and find here owned by others. He should of added worked by others as well!
@John A
How can we ‘weed’ them out? Are they unionized? We cannot even implement a building code for a country located in a hurricane zone.
The contractors can do the weeding out among themselves. Trust me they are some that can move from A to B and as they arrive the foreman knows they useless. It’s like the minibus drivers, everybody knows who the bad ones are. Thing is you can go on a site and claim to be an A class Mason, but after a few days the foremen will know if you lying or not.
@John A
Self regulating bodies do not have a track record of success in Barbados.
@ David
Yes that is true but we have to find a way to protect our people’s right to be employed. It can’t just be open hunting for whoever can supply the cheapest labour. Also at the very least speaking English should be a mandatory requirement.
@John as
As you know, water always finds its level. Governments of late are concerned with economic considerations. There is enough evidence to understand the mindset.
it is about
“When people move from one area to another, they strengthen families and communities, so there is no need to look at migration with trepidation, says Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley.”
@ I remember Bernie, where’s de money 💰?
Another rich local entrepreneur government who has been handed significant business (opportunities) by government is Bernie Weatherhead. BU is curious the yardstick used by government to shortlist vendors. TIA Holdings Ltd (TIA), a company which Bernie Weatherhead represented as a board member is reported to be in debt to the National Insurance Board (NIB) the sum of $1,018,051.54 made up of $345,775.51 and interest of $672,240.03. How is it Caribbean Financial Services Corporation held a Debenture/Mortgage over the assets of TIA and miraculously a request to the NIB has recommended accepting $50,000 from Weatherhead (about 1/8 of the contributions owed by the company)? Where are the assets of the company? The scenario with Bernie AND Bizzy shows how the political class (100% Black) is manipulated at will by the money class.
💰💰💰💰💰💰
De idea is an outraged and racially motivated to de core. This isn’t de 50s. Now this is where de Government needs to give this HOTEL (Bernie Weatherhead) a directive. Pay up on your taxes, or we will close all your stinking businesses in 30 days. Bernie, you’re still romancing de Scottish Colonialist ideology, after stepping all over Black Bajans. Find a local Executive Chef. We’re not tolerating your bullshite. This is de year 2025.
Barbados has some of de finest proud culinary chefs in de world. Our BLACK chefs who are in de industry take pride in their art form and delivers de final product with flair, enthusiasm and finesse. I’m speaking from a culinary background myself. I’ve seen these guys at their best. Executive Chefs don’t cook anything. Please don’t be fooled by de title, they are just managers with a culinary masters’ degree.
Bernie wanted a German or a Frenchman who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu, who couldn’t speak English fluently, to mingle with high-profile guests.
Our local chefs prepare de overall products.
De executive chef sits in de office with de sous’ chef quite frequently, picking de sous chefs brain for ideas. Sous chefs supervise the operation. Most of them are multi-culinary tasks to work in any station when necessary. In Bernie’s world, everything is supposed to be lily-white. Give that position to your black bajan Sous Chef, with all de benefits attached, including room and board and a six-figure salary annually. Stop de shite Bernie.
STOP 🛑
It’s becoming more common to see european colonists automatically reject applicants based on their color. Not their skills, experience, or dedication. And honestly, it’s disheartening.
There are so many talented, hardworking, and disciplined individuals in Barbados being overlooked. People who show up every day, learn new tools, take courses, build portfolios, and put in real effort yet still get filtered out before they even get a chance to prove themselves.
This kind of bias doesn’t just limit opportunities; it also limits diversity, innovation, and the chance for local collaboration.
We talk so much about inclusion and equal opportunity, but sometimes, the system quietly works against exactly that.
To every job seeker facing this, keep growing, keep showing up, and keep believing in your value. One “yes” can change everything.
Equality, when?
With a staggering submission of over 12,000 job applications to more than 4,000 job advertisements, this study stands as the largest international discrimination research of its kind. The focus is on understanding how names and ethnic backgrounds influence hiring decisions in the hospitality industry and the implications this has on diversity and equality in the workplace.
Applicants with English names received 26.8% of positive responses for leadership roles. Non-English names received 11.3%. Applicants with English names received 21.2% of positive responses for non-leadership positions, while non-English names received 11.6%. The findings suggest that a re-engineering of the recruitment process is needed.
It’s reality.
What is needed is a re-engineering of ownership.
If we sell our assets to foreigners to get easy cash under the guise of Foreign Direct Investment, …it is only obvious that those foreigners will DICTATE the rules.
THAT is reality.
It is called “selling out ones birthrights ..for a bowl of soup” (a food).
It is how ‘economists’ think… (whatever the hell those are…)
Steupsss!!!
[…] as a comment – To Chief Immigration Officer, WE Object – blog by Dirt […]
Y’ALL BROUGHT THIS UPON YOURSELVES – SO WHY MOAN, GROAN & B.I.T.C.H. ABOUT AN AGEOLD CONDITION NONE OF YOU ON THAT LIL ISLAND CAN CHANGE BARRING A REVOLUTION OF THE HAITIAN COLOR & WE SEE HOW THAT PANNED OUT ( #400+YearsLater), RIGHT UP TO TODAY IN 2025
BLACK FOLKS ARE COMPLETELY SCREWED!!!
Slaves you were – slaves you will always be!!!
“In the interest of transparency” – IF THERE WAS EVER A TRULY RIDONCULOUS* STATEMENT!!!
Transparency from, WHOM & from “WHAT”???
The sons & snow bunnies of “FORMER SLAVE TRADERS”???
WAKE 2 HELL UP, YOU BLEEDIN’ LOT!!!
Eat your “PIG TAILS”, drink ya’ rum & greet “MASSA” with a pretentious smile!!!
The @BUSHMAN is right:
“Selling out ones birthrights ..for a bowl of soup”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#Cmon
ONCE ITS GONE – ITS GONE!!!
#ThereIsNoLongerARemedy
THE WORLD IS WADING & PADDLING UP SHYTE CREEK WITH A STRAW PADDLE & THE PEOPLE LOVE IT SO
#EnjoyTheRide in your miserable condition!!!
It won’t be long now!!!
EVERYTHING IS ON THE BRINK OF THE ABYSS & WILL SOON PLUNG HEADLONG DOWN INTO HELL IN A 3-WHEEL PANCRAT!!!
#GetYourPopcornReady
#WhatAShowIsComing
WELCOME 2 THE FUTURE APOCALYPSE – JUST 1000-TIMES WORSE ON ALL SIDES OF THE SPECTRUM – “FIRE, SMOKE, DELUGE & THE INCENDIARY PANGS OF GLOBAL ECOLOGICAL MELTDOWN”
CORRECT VT
[A person (called ‘X’) has been chosen for the job, the advert is due process to obtain the work visa for ‘X’.]
To me, it would appear that Barbados (and all around the world) society is getting worse. Yet, that is me observing “society” from the internet and not in the physical reality which we know takes on a different shape.
The Buck Stops Here
— Even one minute without playing the blame game is progress in the art of living. *
Today, see if you can go without blaming a single person or single thing. Someone messes up your instructions—it’s on you for expecting anything different. Someone says something rude—it’s your sensitivity that interpreted their remark this way. Your stock portfolio takes a big loss—what did you expect making such a big bet? Why are you checking the market day to day anyway?
Whatever it is, however bad it may be, see whether you can make it a whole day laying it all on your reasoned choice. If you can’t make it for a day, see if you can make it for an hour. If not for an hour, then for ten minutes.
Start where you need to. Even one minute without playing the blame game is progress in the art of living.
For others, there are so many excuses that have a lot of data points to back them up. These people also have social media and regular media supporting their claims. It may seem that I am saying I don’t believe in the claims or perceived facts. That sentence may even prove your point, but I disagree. All I am saying is…
Does the blame or complaining move you forward?
Does it move society forward?
If your answers are yes then I suppose you should keep going but I think this quote is something to sit with. You can have articulate answers and new deep smart terms to answer these questions why you are right. Yet think about this…
![Open the Gates, Africa (We Want To Go) [Edit] Avatar](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4b440ac2415f977b2bcc55ddfdebe576a47c66a203422b5b5c02c78a4f6de439?s=48&d=blank&r=g){kind=avatar}
Roots Underground Versus Barbados Underground [Edit]
If the current employment trends continue in Barbados where foreign labour is prioritised over Bajan labour; we will see our own citizens just like their desperate African brothers and sisters risking all in foreign climes.
Several centuries ago, negroes were being shipped in from Africa to work in Barbados. Now it would seem that other groups are being brought in to do the work. The crackers, brown people, yellow people, and blacks foreign to Bajans could replace them sometime in the distant future. Will this be Mia’s legacy to her ancestors and her people. Sovereignty in our case is a euphemism for expulsion. Lord have mercy.
Does anyone fancy their chance in working in the still slave holding country called Maruntania.
“Wealthy Chinese sidestep Singapore for Dubai
Private bankers and advisers report rise in interest in the Gulf as Asian city-state tightens scrutiny of applicants
Chinese nationals are drawn to places such as Dubai because of the relative ease of obtaining residency status © Fadel Senna/AFP/Getty Images
Wealthy Chinese sidestep Singapore for Dubai on x (opens in a new window)
Wealthy Chinese sidestep Singapore for Dubai on facebook (opens in a new window)
Wealthy Chinese sidestep Singapore for Dubai on linkedin (opens in a new window)
Wealthy Chinese sidestep Singapore for Dubai on whatsapp (opens in a new window)
Save
Owen Walker in Singapore and Chloe Cornish in Dubai
Published10 HOURS AGO
108
Print this page
Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
An increasing number of wealthy Chinese people are trying to set up family offices and secure residency in the Gulf, a reflection of growing frustration with the increased difficulty of establishing themselves in Singapore, long a popular destination for rich Asians.
In the past year, there has been a rise in enquiries from Chinese nationals eager to relocate to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, according to private bankers and advisers to the ultra rich. Setting up family offices can ease the process of securing citizenship or residency.
“They are attracted [to the Gulf] by the ability to get residency status and live and enjoy stability,” said Mike Tan, Standard Chartered’s Singapore-based global head of wealth planning and family advisory, of those enquiring about setting up family offices in the Gulf.
Tan said the number of enquiries about Dubai that Standard Chartered had received from east Asian clients had surged in the past year, though the bank declined to provide numbers.
The UAE golden visa, which offers residency for 10 years and is available to investors, some family members and some high skilled workers, “is very attractive, and it is stable and benign from a tax perspective,” he said. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates said they issued nearly 80,000 golden visas in 2022 in a sharp increase from 47,000 the previous year, the latest figures to be made publicly available.
The number of family-related entities in Dubai’s offshore financial centre hit 1,000 at the end of the first half of this year, according to official figures, compared with 800 at the end of last year and 600 at the end of 2023. There is no breakdown on origin, but advisers say that much of the rise can be attributed to Chinese individuals.
Such is the influx of wealthy customers to the Gulf, said Prashant Tandon, managing director of wealth manager Lighthouse Canton’s UAE business, that there is a shortage of financial professionals who speak Chinese.
Tandon said he had seen the greatest movement towards the United Arab Emirates among those with assets of $50mn-200mn — “the mid-segment” of high net worth individuals — who are “a lot more entrepreneurial” and may be feeling business pressures in mainland China or Hong Kong.
“A lot of families have sold Singaporean real estate to reinvest in the UAE,” said Yann Mrazek, managing partner at M/HQ, which assists with setting up structures for fund managers and family offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Harsh Covid lockdowns in places such as China and Singapore had first triggered the interest in Gulf hubs, he said.
“Singapore has very restrictive immigration rules — they want to ensure the right people come in,” said an adviser to wealthy families in the city-state. “It is relatively easy to set up a family office and get employment passes, but much harder to get residency and citizenship.”
But while Dubai’s family office market is growing fast, it has years of catching up to do with Singapore.
Government incentives prompted many wealthy foreigners to consider setting up family offices in Singapore in recent years as part of a pathway to becoming permanent residents. The number of family offices in Singapore rose by 43 per cent last year to more than 2,000.
“For a while, people were setting up family offices as a status symbol in Singapore — if your friend had one, you should have one too,” said Kevin Teng, chief executive of wealth manager Wrise Private Singapore. “But it meant a lot of these entities weren’t doing very much.”
Singapore granted an average of 33,000 permanent residencies and 21,300 citizenships a year over the past five years, according to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority, which does not disclose the number of applicants. Immigration consultants report the approval rate can be as low as 8.25 per cent.
A money-laundering case, believed to be the city state’s largest, involving individuals linked to a gang from China’s Fujian province prompted greater scrutiny of individuals and flows.
More crypto entrepreneurs from China are also looking to set up in the Middle East, said Teng. There are now 39 cryptocurrency companies fully licensed by VARA, Dubai’s special regulator for the sector.
“In the crypto and digital asset space, they [Chinese clients] are looking at how friendly the local regulators are,” said Teng. “A lot of the time it can be down to how much risk appetite the different jurisdictions have and Singapore is being a bit more risk averse, certainly compared to Dubai.”
The Monetary Authority of Singapore has granted 36 licences for digital payment companies, though it began cracking down on unlicensed crypto exchanges this summer. “Clients are increasingly going to the Middle East,” said Teng. “That is definitely a growing business segment for us.”
Source: Financial Times
@ David,
This is an informative grassroots video. In reality , Barbados has had an open migration policy for many decades.
Our country has always been a magnet for Caricom citizens, particularly those from places with large groups of impoverished people: Jamaica, Guyana, St Vincent, etc. We have, over the years, witnessed overseas minority groups cherry picked for plumb positions in Barbados.
Native Bajans are being displaced. The government services that they have contributed for over generations will in time collapse as they become over burdened by outside groups.
How does the above scenario square with Mia’s claim that Barbados is now a republic. I’m not certain that your average Black Bajan would accept this statement. What is the point of living in a sovereign state when every new Tom, Dick and Harry arrivee has the same status as you and your people who have been living on this land for hundreds of years.
Our sovereignty has come at a price as we are now forced to share, equitably, the sum of our ancestors travails with a group of people who to all intent and purpose could be citizens of mars.
@TLSN
if we do not know how we want to represent ourselves, our brand will become rubbish.
“What is the point of living in a sovereign state when every new Tom, Dick and Harry arrivee has the same status as you and your people who have been living on this land for hundreds of years.
Our sovereignty has come at a price as we are now forced to share, equitably, the sum of our ancestors travails with a group of people who to all intent and purpose could be citizens of mars.’
I like your first paragraph. We have all said quite a bit about this free movement but your that paragraph is perhaps the best so far.
Why not give the ‘arrivee’ resident status, must it be citizenship? Then again we are locked in to the RTOC.
I have to agree with The O Guy.
The comments are not only TRUE, but I believe it’s his BEST contribution to BU, and the topic so far.
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.