26 become BVI citizens! More to join
Twenty-six residents officially became British Overseas Territory citizens after receiving Certificates of Naturalisation during a ceremony held on Thursday.
Registrar General Mrs Stephanie Benn officiated the ceremony at Government House.
Speaking to the recipients, Governor Augustus Jaspert reminded the new British Overseas Territories citizens that their new status entitles them to carry a Virgin Islands Passport and allows them the ability to now apply for British passports.
“We know that regardless of race or religion or country of origin, you are part of what makes the territory strong. You take on today the responsibility to be ambassadors of this territory,” Governor Jaspert stated.
While commending the new citizens, Premier Andrew Fahie urged them to continue to lead by example for many others in the BVI.
“We know that you have made here your home and that you are part of what has helped us develop to the point we are now … I trust that you would all continue to be a beacon, showing what it means to be naturalised here and demonstrating that the system works,” Fahie stated.
According to the Office of the Governor, the ceremony is the first of three planned for the coming weeks.
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No where on the certificate says British Virgin Islands citizen nor the words british Virgin Islands so stop with the misleading
I am now looking at my certificate and it says British Overseas Territories Citizen. It don’t have BVI anywhere on it. So you are right
There is no such thing as a “BVI Citizen.” Belongership is granted by the BVI, citizenship is granted by the U.K.
These comments are just as embrassing as I expected.
Nice photo … Anyway, congrats to the new citizens. You have all just become citizens of a dying Territory.
PREMIER STOP PUTTING MORE PEOPLE ON THE VI PLANE WHEN YOU LOOK THEY ARE THE SAME ONES WHO CALL DOWN THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY AMD THE COUNTRY. bvi LANDERS DOES NOT GO DOWN THE ISLAND TO LOO AND GET BELONGER STATUS WE NEED TO STOP THIS NONSENSE BECAUSE BVI LANDERS WJP REQUEST STATUS FROM THE US HAS TO WAIT FOR YEARS TO GET IT/PREMIER WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THE POWER BUT STOP GIVING AWAY THE BVI PLEDGE TO OUT SIDERS BECAUSE IF ANY THING HAS TO HAPPEN TO BVI LANDERS WE CANNOT GO DOWN THE ISLAND TO CLAIM ANY THING. PEOPLE (INDEGIONEUS) OF THE BVI YOU ALL TO SPEAK UP AND STOP TH[S THING BCAUSE WE WILL PAY IN THE LONG RUN PREMIER THINK ABOUT THIS THING IN A SERIOUS MANNER TIME WILL TELL AND THEY WILL WALK OFF AMD LEAVE BVI LANDERS THERE. THEY WILL CONTINUE TO LAUGH AT US WAIT AND SEE IT HAPPENING
First, you write and sound like a total uneducated moron. Second, entering the US to work and become a citizen is infinitely easier and many, many years shorter than that of the BVI. Third, and most importantly you and your fellow Belongers are only indigenous to Africa…not the BVI. You are squatters here and have only raped this beautiful land. Last, you don’t function in any respect without outside help in every aspect of your lives. In other words you cannot feed yourselves, care for yourselves, build or educate yourselves without help from the US and the UK. You would all become extinct which is a very appealing prospect. So please sit your racist as down and STFU.
While the person who you’re responding to made inappropriate comments; you too as well just made some highly inflammatory comments. I don’t know who you are, but let me tell you something. The B.V.I has been islands that’s been left to it’s own devices after slavery ended, the people of this small island territory worked hard and grew their own food…while being a footnote in the British Empire. In other words we were basically self-reliant. You as well aren’t indigenous to this side of the world. Let’s not play that game. If you’re not Native American which includes North and south American natives don’t play that game, because you know where it can go. Stop this rhetoric B.V.I landers and expats. This news is online, everyone inside and outside the B.V.I can read this. This isn’t the place for this.
Oh boyyy! The UK entitlers got something to gloat on today. Look at all those thumbs up for the lowest form of mumanity up.Wow.
Imagine, theoffsprig of the creators, perpertrators and practitioners of raciiiiiism trying to redirect his/her abject racism upon someone else.
Wow! look pon hatred booooyyy!!!
If BVIslanders are squatters, what are you? Last time i read, neither you nor the UK made or bought this bird sanctuary.
Whey! you are feeling entitled to a land you never bought but stole from someone else and exterminated them in the process of thiefing their lands.Guess that about white right.
Ahhh. Another moron. Have you ever read anywhere that any white claims to be indigenous to anywhere of north or South America including the Caribbean? No of course not. That’s because we educate ourselves. Each generation becomes more learned. We grow, we invent, we make the world a better place. The black man wallows in his self pity while looking for the world to support him. No attempt is made to value the family unit and education is just something a child does when young. It’s not deemed to a tool for betterment. Thus, sit under your tree and lament how you are what you are because a distant relative 150 years ago was a slave. Oh and please take your racism and shove it up you a**e.
Characterising “white” as good and “black” as bad would be laughable, if it weren’t so grotesque. This is the very definition of racist. Probably as a result of too much Caribbean rum. The writer should relocate himself back to the “land of the free”, home of native american genocide, KKK lynchings, nuclear weapons, agent orange, environmental degradation, and a population that elected a succession of Republican dimwits as leaders, and may do so again. Possibly he/she might “grow, invent, and make the world a better place”! (Unless abducted by aliens of course).
Please explain to me why a British subject has to present a passport to enter the BVI and cannot remain without permission if the citizens of the BVI are British subjects. US citizens enter the USVI without any documentation and can remain indefinitely. Seems like something is wrong with the BVI amongst other obvious things.
Those laws came from the Crown..so ask the UK Government
The B.V.I and other overseas territories aren’t part of the U.K. Never were. We are just parts of the empire that never had a referendum. The U.K even took away ability to British citizenship in 1982 and over returned it in 2002. It was returned, but they never reciprocated the ability for U.K citizens to move here. It’s because since its so small. It would drown the population. It’s done to protect the B.V.I’s.
Mind your business go read the history youall just causing mess
I can see now why the Premier is afraid of tourists coming here and the possibility of more COVID cases. My god, he needs to really get some help because that does not look good. WHOA! HUGE!
We need to vote out this premier because he is giving away this country. We need a new different premier who will make the BVI great again.
Before you sit there crying down the Premier, recognize that BVI citizenship is granted by the Governor.
British Nationality law is regulated by the Home Office & Home Secretary in London. Governors have no power anymore.
The governor doesnt have a choice after fahie made them deemed to belong! Fahie give all of the belongers last year.The governor just does the ceremonial thing!
When was the BVI great? It’s not even a country.
So why in the hell are your here if it is not great and not even a country ? Just to sponge off us ?
is that 6ft apart??
Because one man alone is taking up too much space.
You need a whole block to be 6 feet away…
No way dat big **t man next de governor to become a BVI citizen
These comments are so deadly, it makes the BVI look bad . It makes the island sounds like it is bitter , hateful , unhappy , jealous people live here . But really that is just how a handful of you think and operate . I hope I am right
Many of the comments are posted with the intention of making the BVI look bad internationally. This is done by people who simply sponge of the BVI and lack love and appreciation for the blessings of this small but wonderful territory. The individuals who make such devising remarks are absolutely despicable.
Some of us are so mean-spirited and selfish that we can’t even take a moment and celebrate persons among us who have lived, worked, contributed immensely to this territory. Why?? All because they are not from here.
This is so horrible. I personally know persons in the picture who have worked tirelessly to help build this place.
Those who are blogging the negatives here need to take a back seat because some of them have done nothing to help this country. All they do is create hatred and division. BVILove!
Meanwhile, children (now adults) born out of wedlock before 1st July 2006 to only fathers from British Overseas Territories are denied the right to claim citizenship by descent from their Dads. Yes, our own flesh & blood. And what is the BOT governments doing to push this forward with the UK Govt who call all the shots? One might very well ask? Answers on the back of a postcard, please! The ‘Campaign For BOTC Citizenship’ is fighting a hard battle! Why should our own flesh & blood be pushed to the back of the line? Meanwhile, it open the door for Hong Kong BNO’s to come to the UK. Tell me how this is fair?
You don’t have to contribute to the territory for long years to get the status but depends on whom you are friends with! a few of them are not even 10 years here
The Governor is still doing his Job,,,Resident and belonger status fall under the Premier..With this Covid that have the government bazady…The Premier aint touching those now….
THE BVI BELONGS TO HE BVI PEOPLE THE EXPATS NEED TO KNOW THAT STOP CALLING DOWN THE BVI AND ITS PEOPLE YOU ALL NIGHT BE SURPRISED THR NEXT GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNOR MAY JUST PUT THE SQUEEZE ON THE EXPATS JUST WAIT LET THEM HAVE THEIR WAY NOW AND THEIR SWAY ONE DAY SOME DAY THE EXPAT THING WILL STOP AND IT IS GPING TO STOP EXOATS WILL SOON SEE THEIR HOMES AND AFTER THIS BATCH HA HA NORE MORE WILL BE COMMING SO RIDE ON YOUR LONG TAILS BECAUSE THE HATACHET MAN WILL SOON START TO ACK
I dont understand how this turned into a war…..BVI VS EXPATS…..small minds
Lane 8 and eh moda get certificate meh arrrrrsssssseee