The Foreign Office vehemently denies reports of a meeting to discuss slavery reparations with Caribbean officials, who are insisting on billions of dollars from Britain.
Representatives of the Reparations Commission of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) are scheduled to travel to the UK in April, according to sources who spoke to the Daily Telegraph.
It has been announced that a meeting will take place as part of the Caricom delegation consisting of officials and political leaders who will reiterate their demands for reparations.
Under intense scrutiny during a gathering of Commonwealth leaders in Samoa last year.
Reparations for slavery and colonialism should be part of a worldwide restart. Caricom represents 15 member states including Jamaica, Barbados, and Granada.
Yesterday, the Foreign Office responded to the reports, stating that there were no plans for a ministerial meeting and that no date had been set for a UK-Caricom meeting.
A spokesperson stated: 'Our stance remains that we do not pay compensations.'
also denied the reports.
The presidential candidate has publicly expressed his backing for reparations in the past, while still in opposition. In 2020, he stated that it was necessary to confront Britain's colonial past with a sense of recognition and acknowledgment.
The Mail on Sunday previously reported that slavery reparations will be on the agenda at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa in October of 2024.
Activists are seeking $255 billion in reparations, with some proposing an amount many times that figure.
In the statement, Commonwealth leaders were of the opinion that the time has now arrived for a conversation on this matter, over 200 years after the slave trade was abolished by the UK parliament.
Activists have requested £200 billion in reparations, with some advocating for significantly more than that amount.
The UK strongly opposed the inclusion of direct language regarding reparatory justice in the communique, but Commonwealth leaders stated that "it is now time" for a discussion on the issue.
Repatriations for slavery can include financial reparations as well as 'non-cash' options like debt relief, an official apology, and educational programs.
A Foreign Office spokesperson stated the reports of an upcoming meeting were "false and misleading." There is no planned delegation of Caribbean leaders or officials in the Spring, and our position remains that we do not pay reparations.
They mentioned there are 'no dates set for any future UK-CARICOM meeting.'
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