Bermuda’s intention to opt out of the free movement of people if it becomes a full member of the Caribbean Community is being followed by another associate member.

The Premier of the British Virgin Islands has expressed concerns about the proposal, claiming that it “would not be desirable for us”.

Natalio Wheatley’s comments echo those of David Burt, who has already stated that Bermuda will not open its borders to Caricom nationals.

The 15 full members of Caricom have agreed to loosen immigration regulations within the group, which will allow nationals to live and work indefinitely throughout the region.

Members have also agreed to create a single market within the bloc. The developments are expected to be ratified at the end of this month.

Bermuda is an associate member, but is exploring the possibility of full membership. The Government recently received a Letter of Entrustment from Britain granting it permission to open negotiations with Caricom on the issue, and the Premier attended a meeting with Caricom heads in Guyana last week.

But Mr Burt has dismissed speculation that Bermuda would be forced to open its borders to Caricom nationals if it is granted full membership.

This week Mr Burt said: “Specific agreements, negotiations and protocols are required, and it is not something the Government of Bermuda is contemplating as Bermuda is too small to have open borders.”

Dr Wheatley has confirmed that the BVI Government was examining the pros and cons of full membership for the island.

He said: “With associate member status, we’re still able to benefit in some ways. But, of course, what’s really important to us in the Virgin Islands is that we are able to have some level of restriction on the various Caricom programmes.

“For instance, freedom of movement would not be desirable for us.”

Dr Wheatley said that there were some advantages to upgrading BVI’s membership, particularly in the areas of crime, tourism and health.

He added: “The question is, why are we limiting ourselves — well, limiting our participation?

“As a full member, you can still opt out of things like freedom of movement as the Bahamas has done. So, really, you can utilise the full benefits of membership without, of course, committing to some of the things that we don’t want.”

Dickon Mitchell, the Prime Minister of Grenada, has also said that some members will be able to opt out of the free movement policy if they do not sign up to the single market economy.

But he suggested that that option would only be temporary.

Speaking at the conclusion of the Caricom Heads of Government meeting in Guyana last week, Mr Mitchell told reporters at a press conference: “If you are not part of the CSME, free movement does not apply to you.

“For those countries that are part of the CSME, there are a few countries that have asked for a carve-out ... essentially carve-out in the context of a longer time period before they get to the point of full movement.

“At this stage, it would be premature to name those countries because we are not yet settled that it is their final position that they require a carve-out, so I think it would be premature to name them at this stage.“

Membership of the Caricom club is expected to grow after the Dominican Republic and Martinique submitted applications to join last week.

The US Virgin Islands is also looking to forge closer links with the bloc.

According to news reports, the territory has “officially accepted an invitation from the Caribbean Community to participate in functional co-operation, marking a significant step towards regional collaboration and mutual development”.