B2 News World News · May 20, 2026

The fight against foreign developers buying Caribbean beaches

Barbudan locals fight foreign luxury developers taking over their communally owned coastline.

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On the small Caribbean island of Barbuda, a woman named Miranda Beazer ran a beloved beach bar for over 20 years. It was a community gathering spot — people played dominoes, relaxed after church, and felt at home there. Then Hurricane Irma destroyed everything in 2017, forcing all 2,000 Barbudans to evacuate. When Miranda tried to rebuild, foreign developers moved in instead.

Miranda says she holds a lease on 30 acres of coastline, but she can now only access eight of them. She alleges that the rest has been illegally occupied by foreign resort developers. The developers deny this, insisting they have operated strictly within the law. But Miranda refuses to give up. "It's not the money I'm after," she says. "I actually want to retain my land."

What makes this fight so complex is Barbuda's unusual land ownership system. All land on the island is owned communally — individuals can lease a plot, but no one holds private title. The ownership system was established after slavery ended in Barbuda in 1834 and was officially recognised by the government of Antigua and Barbuda in 2007, when the Barbuda Land Act was passed. That law gave Barbudans the collective right to be consulted on major developments.

But like many beaches on islands across the Caribbean where locals are not protected by property laws, Miranda's last strip of accessible coastline is now under threat from wealthy developers, who want to turn it into an exclusive retreat reserved solely for tourists. Just a few miles away, actor Robert De Niro and Australian billionaire James Packer are building a 400-acre luxury resort. Plots there start at $7 million. Locals say a new bypass road now blocks them from even seeing that beach.

A legal challenge went all the way to the UK's Privy Council, which ruled in 2022 that Barbudans' communal rights do not constitute a formal property interest. Campaigners call it a devastating blow — and the fight for access continues.

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📚 Key vocabulary

communal (adj)
shared by or belonging to a community rather than to one individual
"The office kitchen is a communal space that all employees are expected to keep tidy."
lease (noun)
a legal agreement that gives someone the right to use land or property for a set period of time
"The company signed a ten-year lease on the new office building in the city centre."
occupy (verb)
to take control of or be present in a place, sometimes without permission
"Protesters occupied the building for three days before police asked them to leave."
exclusive (adj)
available only to certain people, typically those who are wealthy or have special access
"The new members-only club is exclusive and requires a significant annual fee to join."
retreat (noun)
a private, often luxurious place where people go to relax and escape everyday life
"The company booked a mountain retreat for the senior leadership team's annual strategy meeting."

✨ Useful phrases for this topic

"retain my land"
Use this phrase — or the broader pattern 'retain [something important]' — when talking about holding on to rights, assets, or resources under pressure.
"After the merger, the regional office fought hard to retain its decision-making authority."
"reserved solely for"
Use this phrase when describing access or resources that are restricted to one specific group, often to highlight exclusion.
"The executive lounge on the top floor is reserved solely for board members and invited guests."
"the right to be consulted"
Use this phrase in discussions about governance, stakeholder engagement, or legal processes where affected parties must be included in decisions.
"Under the new policy, all department heads have the right to be consulted before major budget changes are approved."

Advanced sentence structures

Patterns from this article you can use in meetings, emails, and everyday English

Structure 1

In context

But like many beaches on islands across the Caribbean where locals are not protected by property laws, it is now under threat from wealthy developers, who want to turn it into an exclusive retreat reserved solely for tourists.

The skeleton

Frame: [Noun phrase] <strong>where [subject] are not protected by [system/force]</strong>, [main clause].

What it does: Adds a defining relative clause to a place noun, explaining a gap in protection or support.

Quick swap: "Like many workers in industries where employees are not protected by strong unions, they had little choice but to accept the new terms."

More examples

  • "Like many patients in regions where people are not protected by universal healthcare, she had to pay for treatment herself."
  • "In communities where young people are not protected by adequate mental health services, the consequences can be severe."
  • "Many freelancers work in sectors where contractors are not protected by the same rights as permanent employees."

Easy exercise

Arrange the words and add the missing structural elements to build a correct sentence.

  1. Barbudan beaches · not protected by · local communities · property laws · where · remain vulnerable to development
  2. many small businesses · where · not protected by · strict data regulations · operate in sectors · customer information is at risk
Show answers
  • "Barbudan beaches, where local communities are not protected by property laws, remain vulnerable to development."
  • "Many small businesses operate in sectors where customer information is not protected by strict data regulations."

Open exercise

Write your own sentence using this structure. You can write about anything — here are some ideas if you need them:

  • Access to natural spaces or public land in your country
  • Workers or employees in a particular industry
  • Students or young people in a specific educational context

One possible answer: "Many gig workers operate in fields where they are not protected by standard employment laws, making it difficult to claim sick pay or holiday leave."

Structure 2

In context

The ownership system was established after slavery ended in Barbuda in 1834 and was officially recognised by the government of Antigua and Barbuda in 2007, when the Barbuda Land Act was passed.

The skeleton

Frame: [System/practice/institution] <strong>was established after [event] in [year/period]</strong> and was officially recognised/adopted/reformed in [later year].

What it does: Connects the origin of something to a later moment when it was formally acknowledged, showing a two-stage history.

Quick swap: "The pay equity framework was established after major strikes swept the country in the 1970s and was officially recognised in national law in 1995."

More examples

  • "The patient advocacy committee was established after a series of hospital scandals in the 1990s and was officially recognised by the health ministry in 2004."
  • "The community land trust was established after rising rents forced thousands from their homes and was officially recognised by the city council three years later."
  • "The professional licensing body was established after several high-profile cases of malpractice and was officially recognised across the region within a decade."

Easy exercise

Arrange the words and add the missing structural elements to build a correct sentence.

  1. the Barbuda Land Act · after · communal land rights · the end of slavery · was established · and officially recognised in 2007
  2. the national recycling programme · a series of environmental protests · was established after · and officially recognised · by the government in 2010
Show answers
  • "The communal land rights system was established after the end of slavery and was officially recognised by the Barbuda Land Act in 2007."
  • "The national recycling programme was established after a series of environmental protests and was officially recognised by the government in 2010."

Open exercise

Write your own sentence using this structure. You can write about anything — here are some ideas if you need them:

  • A law or policy related to land, housing, or the environment in your country
  • A workplace rule or professional standard in your field
  • A community organisation or local initiative you know about

One possible answer: "The tenant protection scheme was established after a sharp rise in evictions during the economic crisis and was officially recognised in national legislation two years later."

💬 Discussion questions

1

Miranda turned down large offers of money because she wanted to keep her land. Have you ever refused something valuable — money, a promotion, an opportunity — because something more important was at stake? What happened?

2

The court ruled that communal land rights don't count as formal property rights. Do you think 'community ownership' should have the same legal protection as private ownership? Where do you see the limits?

3

Luxury tourism development often promises jobs and economic growth but can push out local communities. In your industry or region, have you seen a similar tension between outside investment and local interests? How was it handled?

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