Caribbean reparations leaders in ‘historic’ first UK visit to press for justice | Reparations and reparative justice

A delegation from the organization that leads the slavery reparations movement in the Caribbean will be in the UK next week for a “historic” first official visit to defend former British colonies.

Caricom Compensation Commission (CRC) Between 17-20 November he will meet with UK parliamentarians, Caribbean diplomats, academics and civil society groups.

Organized in collaboration Institute of Commonwealth StudiesThe visit aims to strengthen strategic partnerships and increase public knowledge about the region’s colonial past and reparations movements.

“The Caricom Reparations Commission’s advocacy visit to the UK is a historic one as it is the first of what we anticipate will be a series of interactions aimed at raising awareness and awareness, correcting misconceptions about the reparations movement and building strategic partnerships to take forward this critical agenda of righting historical wrongs,” said Dr Hilary Brown, panel member and Caricom’s cultural and community development program manager.

Between the 15th and 19th centuries, more than 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped, forcibly taken to the Americas, and sold into slavery.

Caribbean governments are calling for recognition of the enduring legacy of colonialism and enslavement and restorative justice, including a full formal apology to former colonizers and forms of financial compensation.

CRC president Prof Sir Hilary Beckles, who chaired the six-member delegation, said the visit would help strengthen and advance the Caribbean’s quest for restorative justice.

“The global reparations movement is entering a new wave of influence, visibility and mobilization, and grassroots reparations advocacy, academics and progressive civil society organizations in Great Britain have a crucial role to play in amplifying the gains and message of enlightenment,” he said.

He added: “The Caricom Reparations Commission is here to show solidarity and support as we navigate Windrush together and advance the just demand for restorative justice.”

The issue of transatlantic slavery reparations escalated, making headlines at last year’s Commonwealth leaders’ summit, where the British government refused to pay reparations or issue a formal apology for the UK’s role in the transatlantic slave trade.

At the summit, British prime minister Keir Starmer said the slave trade was disgusting but countries needed to “look forward” and tackle current challenges such as climate change.

Under pressure from Commonwealth leaders to have a “meaningful, accurate and respectful” conversation about Britain’s past, the UK government then opened the door to discussion of non-financial reparations, such as restructuring financial institutions and easing debts for the UK’s role in transatlantic enslavement.

In March, a survey commissioned by the US Repair Campaignan independent movement supporting calls for reparations, found that most Britons were unaware of the scale and lasting legacy of Britain’s role in transatlantic slavery and colonialism.

Of the 2,000 UK adults surveyed, 85% were unaware that Britain forcibly transported more than 3 million Africans to the Caribbean, 89% did not know that Britain had enslaved people in the Caribbean for more than 300 years, 63% support a formal apology to Caribbean countries and descendants of enslaved people (up 4% from 2024) and 40% support financial reparations; previous year

Caribbean governments have been steadfast in their pursuit of restorative justice, based on the CRC’s 10-point plan, which specifies forms of reparation such as full formal apology and debt cancellation. The CRC said the plan has been revised to include recently emerging scientific and historical evidence, but they have not yet released the updated version.

At their last summit in July, Caricom leaders supported a petition to Jamaica’s King Charles regarding reparations.

The petition asks Charles to use his authority to seek legal advice from the judicial committee of the privy council, the final court of appeal for the United Kingdom’s overseas territories and some Commonwealth countries, on whether the forcible transfer of Africans to Jamaica was legal, whether it constituted a crime against humanity, and whether Britain was under an obligation to provide Jamaica with a remedy for slavery and its lasting consequences.