Deputy Premier and Minister of Immigration Jamell Robinson says there is no agreement between Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG) and Sandals Resorts International to hire 250 workers from St. Vincent for the new Treasure Beach Village at Beaches Turks and Caicos.
Robinson made the clarification in an exclusive interview with The SUN, following public uproar stemming from SRI Executive Chairman Adam Stewart’s recent announcement that “we have 250 Vincentians on the cusp of going to Turks and Caicos to go and take over and lead the latest Beaches Resorts which opens in Turks on March 1, 2026, and we could not be more proud”.
Robinson said: “To be clear, there is no agreement in place between TCIG and Beaches TCI to bring in 250 Vincentians to work at the soon to be opened Treasure Beach Village, hence no announcement could be made by TCIG, the Ministry of Immigration and Border Services, the Department of Employment, or either myself. Beaches TCI will be subject to all labour laws which requires firstly to seek a local to fill any role before turning outward for that purpose. Ideally, they would look inward firstly to identify local talent to fill Leadership roles at the new property. Then look for local talent within the Turks and Caicos, then the diaspora, and finally outward.”
The deputy premier said that based on the entirety of Adam Stewart’s statement, hiring the 250 employees for Beaches “is what what Sandals’ plan is, however we are a nation of laws and as minister with responsibility for labour, I will uphold them for the betterment of the people of Turks and Caicos ensuring that at we are given opportunities within each phase of our economic growth”.
When asked by The SUN if Beaches has given any indication of how many Turks and Caicos Islanders will be employed in the new Treasure Beach Village, Robinson said. Beaches TCI hosts a job fair every Wednesday on property to provide Turks and Caicos Islanders an opportunity to be hired for existing and future roles within their organization. He said the Labour Department is present to record all persons who have attended and follow their employment progression.
Additionally, he said, Beaches will be a part of the wider TCHTA Hospitality Job Fair being hosted at Gus Lightbourne Sports Complex, October 21st-22nd, 2025.
“The gist is to hire as many Turks and Caicos Islanders that want the opportunity,” the immigration minister added.
Questioned about whether TCIG is satisfied that Beaches has explored and exhausted all local avenues to secure employees before granting approval for the 250 Vincentians, Robinson stated: “As is the case before a labour clearance is issued or a subsequent work permit issued, the Labour Department and/or the Work Permit Boards must be satisfied that there are no suitable Turks and Caicos Islander available to fill that role. This litmus test will be applied to each work permit application.”
A few years ago, Beaches founder and chairman, the late Gordon “Butch” Stewart, said that when all available avenues are exhausted they have to fill the positions using suitable personnel from elsewhere, adding that the labour shortage at Beaches simply cannot be eliminated utilising the employment pool in the Turks and Caicos Islands alone and our need to recruit from overseas is out of necessity,”
In response to that suggestion, Deputy Premier Robinson said: “Fundamentally, we know that given the type of economy we have in the TCI and the size of our local labour force, we will need outside labour. That’s not my focus. My focus has been, and will always be, ensuring Turks and Caicos Islanders have the opportunity for upward mobility within any organization that they work in. Not just Beaches TCI but all!!”
He added: “That’s why as a progressive government we’ve made the TCICC Tuition free for all Turks and Caicos Islanders. This allows for the upskilling and retooling as necessary to take on middle, senior, and executive roles within organizations. Also, I’ve had frank conversations with the executive of the TCHTA about ensuring that through their staffing plans that the succession of Turks and Caicos Islanders to top position must be a priority for them as well.”
Given that TCI is attracting several large tourism developments and in light of the perceived or real labour shortage, The SUN asked Minister Robinson if TCIG be granting large scale work permit approvals to those entities to import foreign labour.
“Importation of foreign will remain subject to the labour laws of the TCI,” he stated.
In light of the anxiety and concerns being expressed in some quarters about the influx of foreign labour in the tourism sector, the Deputy Premier was asked what assurances he can give to the local workforce that locals at least will not be marginalised/left behind.
He said: “Again, the focus is not on the number of jobs in the market but the quality of jobs that as a Government we make available for our people. With the finalization of the Population Policy by early next year and the implementation of both the new Labour Management Information System (LMIS) and Digital Borders Program, we will have the Technology and the Refined Policy direction to ensure that are people are not marginalized while still producing a labour force that drives economic growth.”
Asked to explain the possibility of granting work permits to Beaches for 250 workers, yet denying or delaying work permits for other hotels, companies and individuals who make applications which they believe are essential, Robinson said: “The standards for all are same and no deviation for the application process.”
ARE LOCALS WILLING AND ABLE TO FILL CERTAIN JOBS?
The SUN also asked Deputy Premier Robinson if he agrees and accepts that locals are not willing or able to fill certain jobs in the tourism sector.
He responded: “I don’t believe the challenge for Turks and Caicos Islanders are the filling of certain jobs but the future prospects for movement within the tourism sector. If I’m not mistaken, Adam (Stewart) before becoming Chairman of Sandals Resorts International would have worked in every part of the hospitality business following his studies to ensure that he was truly prepared to take on that role. The difference is that everyone knew he was being prepared for that role. In our case, there has been too much uncertainty in the past for our people to blindly stick it out. That must change in partnership with our key stakeholders.”
MORE THAN 16,000 ON WORK PERMIT
Meantime, Robinson said there are presently over 16,000 work permit holders in Turks and Caicos Islands, of which a majority works either directly or indirectly within the tourism industry.
“We do not presently know how many locals are employed within the tourism industry as their registration with labour is voluntary and is usually only done when a Turks and Caicos Islander is seeking employment,” he explained. “With the implementation of the LMIS registration will be mandated so we can ensure better management of opportunities that may arise for Turks and Caicos Islanders. Example: A Turks and Caicos Islander that is currently not registered with Labour cannot be referred for an interview by a company that may have an opportunity that better suits their skills.”
TCIG has been giving projections about several billion dollars of inward investment slated for TCI over the next few years. The SUN asked the Deputy Premier if there are any projections for how many employees will be needed to effectively staff these major tourism investments.
He responded: “Within each Development Agreement signed, the required number of employees to staff it is also projected. I would not be able to give specifics because the overall projections would be based on how quickly a project gets through the construction phase to completion which will vary from project to project. It is something that is monitored on all fronts.”