By Val Matthias. Updated 9:12 p.m., Wednesday, March 18, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has formally upgraded diaspora affairs to a dedicated department, marking a significant shift in how the government engages Vincentians abroad. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Foreign Investment and Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Fitzgerald Bramble, announced that the former Regional Integration and Diaspora Unit (RIDU) has been transformed into the Department of Diaspora Affairs, giving diaspora issues national prominence.
Minister Bramble emphasized that the elevation of diaspora affairs reflects their growing importance to national development. “We have elevated diaspora affairs to a department with proper staffing and resources. This ensures efficiency, responsiveness, and a stronger connection with Vincentians overseas,” he said. He confirmed that new positions will be created within the department, ensuring that diaspora affairs are not treated as an afterthought but as a central pillar of foreign policy.
For Vincentians abroad, the new department promises greater institutional support. Families dependent on remittances, businesses seeking investment, and students overseas could benefit from streamlined engagement. Locally, the initiative strengthens cultural diplomacy, ensuring that Vincentians abroad remain connected to their homeland.
The transformation of RIDU into the Department of Diaspora Affairs represents both continuity and change: building on the unit’s legacy while elevating diaspora engagement to a national priority. Minister Bramble’s announcement, coupled with the creation of new positions, sets the stage for stronger global connections but its impact will hinge on effective implementation and genuine collaboration with Vincentians abroad.
RIDU was first established in October 2007 under the Office of the Prime Minister, tasked with overseeing CARICOM and OECS integration while serving as a vehicle to strengthen ties with the Vincentian diaspora. In 2017, Allan Alexander, a public servant and former Deputy Director of Invest SVG, was appointed Director of RIDU.
Under his leadership, the unit conducted initiatives such as a Diaspora Mapping Project and a Skills Gap Assessment, aimed at involving overseas nationals more directly in the country’s development agenda.
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