The Portability of Pension Rights: General Principles and the Caribbean Case

Abstract

The portability of pension rights is an increasingly important issue in the Caribbean. The large and increasing flows of migrant workers, including both permanent and temporary migrants, the small size of the domestic economies and the process of regional integration and economic openness call for effective means to make pensions portable. This article presents a select survey of the literature on pension portability, and reviews the progress made by the Caribbean countries as well as some remaining challenges in the light of the international experience.