A high-level delegation from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Reparations Commission will travel to the United Kingdom this week for meetings with British officials and lawmakers on addressing the historical injustices of slavery and colonialism—and the enduring inequalities they created.
Between the 15th and 19th centuries, an estimated 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped, trafficked aboard European ships, and sold into slavery throughout the Americas. Advocates say the social and economic impacts of that system remain deeply embedded today, particularly through structural racism and underdevelopment in formerly colonized nations.
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The global movement for reparatory justice has accelerated in recent years, led in large part by CARICOM’s 15 member states—including Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago—and supported by the African Union (AU). CARICOM’s 10-point reparations plan calls for a formal apology, debt cancellation, education and cultural rehabilitation programs, and monetary compensation. The AU is also developing its own framework.
Still, the push has faced mounting resistance. Many European governments have rejected reparations outright, arguing contemporary institutions should not be held responsible for historical wrongdoing. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed this sentiment ahead of last year’s Commonwealth summit in Samoa, saying he preferred to “look forward” rather than engage in “very long, endless discussions about reparations.”
Yet the summit concluded with an unexpected shift: leaders of the 56-nation Commonwealth—chaired by Britain’s King Charles—agreed that the time had come for a formal discussion on the issue.
The CARICOM delegation’s visit, scheduled for November 17–20, aims to deepen partnerships in the U.K. and “promote a joint program of public education and engagement on the reparations agenda,” according to a media advisory.
Their arrival comes as new data highlights gaps in British public understanding of the nation’s colonial history. A 2025 poll commissioned by The Repair Campaign found that 85% of respondents were unaware that Britain forcibly transported more than 3 million Africans to the Caribbean during the transatlantic slave trade.
