Montserrat Wins Opening Round at Leeward Islands Debating Competition

Montserrat opened the 54th Leeward Islands Debating Competition with a strong performance on Thursday night in Nevis, defeating St. Kitts in the first round of the regional contest.

Six teams are participating in this year’s competition: defending champions Antigua and Barbuda, St. Maarten, St. Kitts, Anguilla, Montserrat and host territory Nevis.

The opening debate featured St. Kitts proposing the motion “U.S. deportation policies are a major catalyst for crime in the Caribbean,” while Montserrat opposed the argument.

Representing Montserrat were Barrington Chalmers, who served as the first speaker, and Etiyen Udoh, who delivered the second presentation.

The St. Kitts team argued that U.S. deportation policies have contributed significantly to crime across the Caribbean. Their speakers cited research linking criminal deportations to increases in violence and homicide rates in some countries and argued that deportees sometimes return to the region with criminal networks, gang affiliations and knowledge gained within U.S. prison systems.

Opening the proposition’s case, one speaker argued that deportation policies were deliberately strengthened through legislative reforms in the United States and that their impact has been felt across the region. “The forced return of migrants with prior criminal convictions increases violence in their countries of origin, particularly where law enforcement institutions are weak,” the speaker told the audience.

The St. Kitts team further argued that the scale of deportations places additional strain on Caribbean security systems and social services. According to the proposition, when individuals return with limited social ties or employment opportunities, the result can be social exclusion and increased involvement in criminal networks.

Montserrat’s team challenged that position, arguing that deportation is not the primary driver of crime in the region.

Opening the opposition’s case, Chalmers pointed to structural issues such as youth unemployment, inequality and weak institutions as more significant contributors to crime. “To blame the deportee for the blood on our pavement is to mistake a rare drop for a hurricane,” he said. “Crime did not arrive in the Caribbean on deportation flights. It grew in the cracks of our own neglect.”

Chalmers referenced international studies showing that youth unemployment in parts of the Caribbean exceeds 20 percent, arguing that limited economic opportunity often creates the conditions for gang recruitment.

Udoh further developed the opposition’s case, arguing that organised crime and drug trafficking networks play a larger role in regional violence than deportation flows. He noted that the Caribbean’s geographic location between South American drug-producing countries and North American consumer markets has made the region a major transit corridor for narcotics trafficking.

Challenging the scale of the deportation argument, Udoh told judges that the data did not support the claim that deportees were a dominant driver of crime. “To suggest that U.S. deportation is a major catalyst is not just an exaggeration. It is a mathematical impossibility,” he argued, adding that “six percent is not a catalyst. It is a statistical whisper in a room screaming with homegrown violence.”

Both teams presented detailed research and statistics during their prepared speeches before moving into rebuttals aimed at challenging the opposing arguments.

Following deliberations, the judges awarded the debate to Montserrat with 610 points, ahead of St. Kitts which scored 591 points.

Udoh was also named Best Speaker of the debate, recognised by the judges for his confidence, clarity and persuasive delivery.

While the judges deliberated, the moderator opened the floor for discussion with members of the audience, including students and educators attending the event. Participants reflected on other factors influencing crime in Caribbean societies, including poverty, youth unemployment, social media influences and the lack of structured after-school programmes.

Questions were also raised about how Caribbean governments prepare for and support returning deportees, particularly given the limited reintegration programmes available in many small island states.

The Leeward Islands Debating Competition continues in Nevis with additional debates scheduled over the coming days as teams compete for the regional title. Montserrat’s opening win gives the team an early boost as the competition moves into its next round.