Immigration has no authority to deport anyone – Jennings
BVI News Staff - Thursday, June 14th, 2012 at 10:16 AM
Jennings
A number of immigration contraventions are brought to the attention of the Immigration Department and it was stated that the matters are sometimes so many that the department deals with them administratively as opposed to making court referrals.
Chief Immigration officer Dennis Jennings told a gathering at a crime conference on June 8: “If we were to as it were prosecute all the immigration offenses that we have, we will find that the court will be in more difficulties in dealing with these matters. Therefore we have to ease that burden on the court by asking some people to leave administratively.”
Jennings disclosed that someone being deported and being asked to leave administratively are two different circumstances and noted that asking people to leave continue to be an employed immigration procedure.
“We have quite a few people that we have to apply that process to. For example, in 2010 we had some 184 people that we had to remove administratively and in 2011 we had some 138, which is a reduction, but this process has to continue. Once people are in the territory and they are not complying with the conditions set out in those entry permits they are asked to leave,” he said.
“They are not deported but they are asked to leave until such time that they can return, if they do so desire, and once they can reach the entry requirement they will be allowed in again,” he added.
The chief immigration officer pointed out that deportation is something people tend not to understand, and the minute you ask someone to leave administratively, they conclude that immigration has deported them, but immigration has no authority to deport anyone.
“As I pointed out earlier recommendation has to be made to the governor and the prerogative is the governor’s to decide whether a deportation order is warranted in a particular case. Once that happens then that person is placed on a list and they are prohibited from entering the territory,” he explained.
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13 Comments
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Ikno a young girl was ask to leave because she don’t have a job,now dis girl live here from 2mts old do all her school here have a work permit exemption ,have a child born here she in her 20s ,Tortola is d only place she know and she is ask to leave,that I don’t understand where she suppose to go,
BVI Immigration is the ones reposible for deportation because they are the ones who make the recommendation to the governor for anyone that they immigrationn office does not like……………….
Mr Jennings has to carry out his function within the ambit of the law. I too have to go through the work permit process and I find that he is a fair person. What you folk should consider is lobby for is a strengthening of the immigration laws. Take action as opposed to calling talk shows.
Once again, be appreciative of your own.
There are a number of persons living here in the BVI that are convicted for offences that runs more than three months (I stand corrected if the time is longer) in which they can be deported base on the law, and no one at Immigration Department sees it fit to go after those persons. Immigration Officers only pressure people who they are instructed to pressure, especially if the person making the report against such expatriate is a person who have a certain “status” in the community. I agree with Mr. Jennings that the immigration department cannot deport anyone, but who are the ones that make the recommendation to the Governor? What I would have love to hear from Mr. Jennings, the amount of recommendations that they have made to the Governor this year, and how many persons have been deported base on their recommendations?
I would really wish that they have a clear set of instructions and procedures clear and transparent for everybody.
Everytime that I have to go, they tell me a different story and same happens when I speak to anyone else…
Well knowing what the situation is now, you will be asked to leave administratively!
thats cause what you did is a crime that once found guilty for you are eligible for deportation…the fact of the matter is that you were wrong and he was telling you what couldve happened. instead of trying to bash him you should be happy he chose a different route. clown
Mr Jennings is a very even handed public servant. I have had dealing with his office on many occasions. I wish him all the best as I am confident that he will continue to serve his office well. It is my hope that the people of the BVI will learn to appreciate their own.
Even-handed what! He’s for who he’s for. Since he knows that his department doesn’t have the power to deport anyone, perhaps he may want to explain why he had his people drag the guyanese fellow (the one who was convicted for having impregnated the young girl up Belle Vue) out of his house early morning and taken into custody.
So what the heck was that all about.
jennings is not that fear he only look as if he is but he is not that type the person in the kitchen is who feeling the heat
thats because he couldn’t get his son in law deported
lol lol
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