The myriad of complexities that can befall a people in their own homeland can sometimes result from their own making. For instance, the Bible states that the children of the kingdom shall be cast out… and others will come from the east, west, north and south and take their places. While this has a biblical interpretation, it can also have what may be called an earthly meaning and in this context, Anguilla stands at a reckoning point.

Never before in the history of the island have there been so many employment opportunities at home for Anguillians and yet there is an almost snail pace return by nationals to take them up. The result is that people are coming from everywhere in the world to work in various sectors of the economy. They are filling positions in the many private and public sector areas of employment hitherto reserved for Anguillians and it is not their fault. Many Anguillians are to be blamed.

The reasons may be three-fold. One appears to be that despite its rapid development, there are Anguillians abroad who remain out of touch with reality, thinking that Anguilla is still the same impoverished backwater of the Caribbean which drove them away to greener pastures. Another may be that they think that having lived abroad for so long the roots they have planted elsewhere cannot be easily uprooted to facilitate their return. Still another reason may be that they, like others still at home, have not prepared themselves with the necessary skills or education to fill the job opportunities being advertised.

Of all the suggested reasons, the latter is the worse because self-development in all of its forms is the key to earning a living in these days when there is so much competition in the job market. Being an Anguillian is no longer a competing qualification for even the lowest of jobs, much less the higher levels of the employment scale.

The situation is that while Anguillans are but sojourners in other people’s countries, there are many persons from those parts of the world who are taking their places, jobs and abundant living in Anguilla. Anguillians are not being forcefully thrown out of their island. They are freely allowing themselves to be cast out by their own indifference and lack of interest and faith in their island which is developing by leaps and bounds. Our people must love and cherish our ‘rock’ and take pride and part in its successes and prosperity.

We certainly welcome those many workers from far and near who have joined the ever swelling ranks of the local labour force in this period of unprecedented infrastructural development in Anguilla and are glad to accommodate them. Indeed, Anguillians owe a debt of gratitude to many regional and international countries where our nationals, in the hard economic times of yesteryear, have extensively travelled for employment to support themselves, their families and to contribute to the remittance economy.

What is being said here is that the time has come for many Anguillians to return home to benefit from the available opportunities and privileges. They are being cast out by their own volition and there may be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” in the form of much regret later on if they do not return home when they can and as the opportunities beckon them to do so.

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