Belonger Brouhaha! Rymer blasts rumours about legislators’ spouses
Deputy Premier Kye Rymer today condemned rumours he said have been circulating across the Virgin Islands that the spouses of three Virgin Islands Party (VIP) legislators were granted Belonger status even though they did not qualify.
Rymer addressed those rumours in the House of Assembly (HOA) today. Governor John Rankin had recalled the HOA to regularise the status of 688 persons who were erroneously granted Belongership back in 2019 and/or 2020 when they did not meet a particular aspect of the applicable legal requirements.
Rymer described this error as an “honest oversight” and hit back at detractors who he said has used the mistake to “spread misinformation just to seek to discredit persons running for office”.
“It seems some will spare no effort in doing so, even if it means hurting the innocent loved ones of persons even in this House,” Rymer stated. “They have gone so far as to falsely spread rumours that the spouses of certain Honourable members who applied to the Fast Track programme did not qualify for Belonger status, but that it was still granted to them. This is absolutely not so,” the Deputy Premier contended.
“Let me be perfectly clear, Honourable Neville Smith’s wife was married to him for five years and qualified based on section 16 (6)of the law. Honourable Sharie de Castro’s significant other satisfied the requirement for years required under Section 16(4), and the Premier’s wife by far satisfies the requirement of years required under the same section. When Cabinet approved applications, he recused himself and did not vote. Furthermore, Honourable de Castro and Honourable Smith were not a part of Cabinet at the time. But yet, those who are spreading misinformation are conveniently leaving that out to sway public opinion,” Rymer added.
He argued that it was “low” to use the lives of 688 people as political football and said those 688 are faultless in the entire ordeal.
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What we are seeing on the video link to the HoA is those members who think that the new belongers will not be voting for them, being difficult about regularising the position of those new belongers.
When you break the law you don’t get to validate it. If they are now validating Belonger status then those persons were never eligible to register to vote. Quit making it a human issue. The VIP broke the law. If persons are upset blame Andrew and his posse.
So sick of people saying that BVI islanders are anti foreign. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many of us are married to foreign men and women.
The fact is this shit that Andrew and his posse carried out was to get VOTES. Simple.
What is the big problem with allowing them to keep the status but telling them toot in the NEXT election.
What has been overlooked is that many of those applicants were applying for residency and were pleasantly surprised when they actually got belongership.
That is an untrue statement. Everyone was aware of the process
I don’t care who want to get vex, but there has been a lot of victimization of expats for years. Some expats have been here for over 20 years without status and people who reside here shorter than that were able to get status because of who they know.
There has been a lot of victimization of BVI Belongers also. Why the h**l expats in the BVI think that they are so in love with BVI Belongers, which is far from the truth. “I don’t care who get vex”.
Like the greedy bill so is the same thing with this fast track to quickly help them family and friends. Whether them done do years of sexing the point is everything fix to help them cronies and friends and family.
All these people doing is giving us headaches with their foolish, idiotic excuses. Up to now I am not hearing none of them talking about those who did it the right way, yet kept waiting for years and still waiting…yow, my head hurts. Wicked people. Where is God?
My nephew has been married for 7 years, and now immigration denies status to his wife because she doesn’t work, when they themselves tell you, your wife can’t work, they apply the law to whoever they want, under no heading of the marriage law You say that the wife, or husband, you have to be working, the law says, of course, five years of marriage and I am not speaking lies, it is pure reality of those who do Emigration with whom they want
Weighing Errors or Mistakes
The first time is a mistake
The second time is you did not understand
The third time is willfulness or not taking heed
The fourth time is rebelliousness and disregard
The Fifth time is a reprobate mind
The Sixth time is due for punishment
The Seventh time is the Wrath of God
Rhymer was seen as the new hope. He did an excellent job at DMV and the one way system was long overdue.
But alas the Fahie factor has rubbed into him, the insidious corruption within the VIPERS has got to him and now he is no different to the rest.
Be gone as soon as possible please.
Can’t believe he stood there and l**d about the eligibility of Sharie’s `spouse’. We all know that guy wasnt eligible for no status
The only victims in this are the VIslands and its people.
Immigration en masse of this one demograhic has caused a deterioration of the quality of life in these VIs,,,Education overall has been downgraded students are armed and dangerous,, second prison is needed becoming two full prisons for housing felons dominantly
of immigrants and or their children,the Vi culture and customs are in the dust and replaced with the degraded customs of strangers,illiteracy,prostitution, gambling,incest are the norm…..VIslanders are the sole victims of this purgatory.
You must be a special kind of bored to post the same s**t every week on every article which concerns non BVIslanders. You hide behind these pseudonyms like the coward you are amd spread your xenophobic rhetoric as if you lost one of your cousins to a non BVIslander. We get ok you enjoy sex with your cousins. No one wants to take that from you. Jeesh man! Get a grip!
Sadly ,you are unable to challenge the veracity of the listed assaults on the crumbling remnants of the VI.
Dont take it personally my Dear.
Take heed and plan accordingly
“None is so blind as those who cannot see.
That slipped past didnt it, “ significant other “. Only legally married spouses count for the five year rule. Not your latest squeeze.
Once again the VIPERS think the law does not apply to them.
Boot them.
The significant other got status based on his time served not by his partner.
Why does he mention it then?
You think they didn’t get special treatment ?
Dream on.
Which was supposed to be 20 years and over. Might need to produce that first work permit stamp to show that it actually is.
Today I think she said he is her husband?
There are some who got but never lived here.
Weighing Errors or Mistakes
The first time is a mistake
The second time is you did not understand
The third time is willfulness or not taking heed
The fourth time is rebelliousness and disregard
The Fifth time is a reprobate mind
The Sixth time is due for punishment
The Seventh time is the Wrath of God
give us the auditor general report and other reports. Else Rankin, we waiting on you
Rankin does not have the cojones to do it.
He is as useless as the government.
MB WILL SORT YOU OUT
What about the whites give away to them rich white friends in 2018?
“Rich white Frends are friends with benefits, They reciprocate with investments jobs and are not burdens on the economy or need holding cells prisons and thousands of of law and order personnel and plenty medical personnel. Rich whites are why the burdensome empty handed and empty pockets of the whole Caribbean are risking v their lives and frothing at the mouth to come Tola. Rich White friends increases the value of properties which VIlanders are the main holders, unlike dem others whose presence and uncivil behaviour decrease values of all and every lil thing. What would these Vivbe if not for the investments of Rich White Friends
The Governor and his counterparts have once again created a blood less war in their favor for their attempt for a takeover. They have us fighting each other unnecessarily and put us in confusion while giving the true enemy, the colonial masters, a free pass.
Kye pls stop misleading. The spouses were giving status just in recent times. Where is the proof that they qualified.
Kye you and the Virgin Islands party need to go and just get out of the way of people’s lives. You have done enough hurting to the people and the territory.
You all are in over your heads. If you all were in a different country you would have had to step down and leave office a long time ago. The people are just sick of you all with your bandaid and spin for everything like we are fools.
All this excitement is not necessary. The truth is if the government was abiding by the law, all those 688 persons would have gotten status a long time ago.
Some would have not all. Stop tell lies because some of them did not qualify.
The Governor has organized a bloodless war for take over. The only audit on the Fast track programme was done on the one did by the VIP in 2019 where fifteen hundred persons benefited, and most were Caribbean people who were here for years, and their application was being ignored. This sparked the Governors’ interest, so they included it in the COI and for the auditor general to do a report. Simply put, this annoyed him and the last Governor as they are not pleased so many black Caribbean people got status. On the contrary, not a word or not a report or not an audit was done on the 70 rich upper class white friends especially those in the “prestige” financial services industry who got status right before the 2019 General Elections by the NDP and the current Attorney General who was the Permanant Secretary in the Premier’s Office at the time. The slavery mill is grinding slow but grinding still and with some of our local’s helping the slave master destroy their own hoping they will give them power. We are falling for the oldest British takeover strategy which is divide and conquer.
Who is he trying to fool? They may have “qualified”, but if that was all there was to it, we wouldn’t have been in this mess. Tired of these half-truths.
Too much Talking make many Mistake!
@ BYE BYE
MB AIN’T NO MATCH FOR KYE. MB CAN’T EVEN SPEAK GOOD ENOUGH TO REPRESENT US.
I GUARANTEE U MB WILL LOSE BY FAR. BEING FROM THE GHUT HAS NOTHING TO WITH IT.
FAHIE HILL AND LONG TRENCH DON’T WANNA SEE MB.
KYE IS THE MAN AND HE STILL GONNA GET SOME FROM THE GHUT AS WELL.
RONNIE PUT MB UP TO GET AT LARGE VOTES FOR THEM BUT THAT WOULDN’T HELP THEM BECUZ THE TEAM WEAK.
VIP IS THE WAY TO GO FOR 2023
I really think others are not thinking like you! MB is a successful businessman and has been doing for people in the 5th district and the BVI community without being in Politics.
The people of the 5th are a set of @$$! Besides personal what has Kye done for the district? The 5th district looks dirty, set of potholes everywhere. Sewerage running in the road. You all are a special bunch!!! You deserve to suffer for another 4 years.
So all expat are bad??? You are one sick ME
Somebody please tell the Deputy Premier to “go sit down”. It have people that more than meet the requirements, living here for over 10, 15, 20 years contributing to the existence of the BVI & still can’t get sorted out. Stop taking people for fools. Stop insulting people’s intelligence. Look how you’re not going to be re-elected, just for supporting something you know is wrong.
To those of you who didn’t know, now you know, the 1st Lady is from down the Island!
Cronyism and corruption?
How could this be approved again in the house of assembly today?
Carolyn Shallow-Wheatley
Approved by Cabinet on 1st December, 2019 Cabinet Memo 426/2019. Profile states date resident in the Territory: September, 2003. Applicant is an Administration Assistant. The applicant was only resident 16 years and would not meet the requirement for the Programme. The applicant is also the spouse of the current Premier, Hon. Natalio D. Wheatley. Although
Approved by Cabinet on 1st December, 2019 Cabinet Memo 426/2019. Profile states date resident in the Territory: September, 2003. Applicant is an Administration Assistant. The applicant was only resident 16 years and would not meet the requirement for the Programme. The applicant is also the spouse of the current Premier, Hon. Natalio D. Wheatley. Although Hon. Wheatley recused himself from the discussion and decision on this batch of applications, the fact that this application was submitted knowing that it did not qualify for the Programme raises questions. Mrs. Shallow-Wheatley would also not qualify under Section 16 (6) of the Immigration and Passport Act, as this provision requires marriage of at least 5 years and the applicant had been married for only 4 years at the time of application.
This is exactly what I was going to point out. Anyone who cares to review the Audit Report which is now available in full, will see that what Kye is saying is a L**!!! The reports state that neither Ms. Decastro’s partner, Sheep’s wife nor the Premier’s wife was eligible at the time of their application. So to come at this juncture and say that they were is just an effort to mislead the masses. The fact is that IT IS NOT TRUE!!
where is the audit report to be found ?
Rhymes you lying now. Look the Col showing proof. That the premier wife ain’t qualify for belonger
Kye is not genuine. Loyal to the bone to andrew
Exctly and lies just like him too. The auditor report says the persons were not eligible including the significant other and spouses of those he mentioned.
Yes mah boy the BVI’s first lady is Vincy. And nobody gat the balls to say nothing. Mrs Wheatley stand tall lady…
They say one rotten apple spoils the bunch. It is not a lie. Rhymer and the bunch need to go. They were all spoiled by the one rotten apple. Rhymer said he is disappointed in those who made this about politics and not about the people who need to be cared for. What??? Who exactly is he referring to? No one made it about politics. No one said they do not care about the people who were placed in suxh position, compliments of the incompetent VIP government led by their abuse-of-power, blatant-law-breaking, all-he-cares-about-is-money, coach. They did not need any fast track to clear the backlog. All they needed was to process the applications of those who were qualified but waiting. The fast track was only about getting the money at any cost. If you already qualify, if you have already done your time and contributed to the country, why are they asking for you to pay extra to be approved again. In fact, most of the people Rhymer is l**ng on to say they made it about politics, come from non-bvi roots. The GOVERNOR highlighted the ‘mistake’ of the VIP Government. It was brought to his attention by the AUDITOR GENERAL. So again, who made it about politics and who do not care about the people? The ultra vires abuse of powers by the former premier is why every member had to be called to the House. The former premier full knew and understood the law but had to try to find a way to circumvent it. Baba Aziz is not here to defend himself. They had Rhymer read a conflicting statement to suggest that it went from 688 errors to 64 to 1 so they can circulate that out-of-context part of his speech but this is a blatant LIE because in the end, Rhymer was still asking for the ‘688 TO BE REGULARISED’. I repeat. 688. Rhymer made it about politics by reading that speech. The speech confirmed that the VIP government cares NOTHING for the people. They were willing to break the law to get their hands on the “FAST TRACK MONEY” because up to now, they cannot address why those who applied the regular way, who have lived and worked in the bvi for years but just cannot afford the fast track money, why they ARE STILL BEING DISENFRANCHISED BY THE VIP GOVERNMENT! Why their application is STILL IN THE BACKLOG QUEUE. And for those who feel they have to vote for this incompetent, desperate and dotish VIP government because they were fast tracked, consider this. That incompetent government usually pays others for their vote but this time, you paid them for your vote. You paid them to own you. When they look at you, they see your money, they do not see you. I am just watching the blatant, dirty tactics of this party. They are insulting the intelligence of the people EVERYDAY and some of the people are really falling for it. Send Rhymer and his party a message on election day. He said all he had to say in the House yesterday to show himself as just another puppet creating havoc and confusion just to stay in power. The country do not need any more toxic leadership. Please go away.
You people clearly didn’t listen to the HOA to understand the incorrect assertions of the Auditor General. Furthermore, why can’t you understand that there actions were given on the advice of the Attorney General. You people really hear and see what you want!
Significant Other of a person now qualifies for Belongership? Does this category equates to being married? Mr. Rymer can you please explain how a significant other (which in my opinion means “boyfriend” or f’fiance”, if engaged. Please explain how significant other qualifies in this case. Thank you.
Sadly ,you are unable to challenge the veracity of the listed assaults on the crumbling remnants of the VI.
Dont take it personally my Dear.
Take heed and plan accordingly
“None is so blind as those who cannot see.
I am sooo disappointed in Sharie. I really expected her to stand up for what is right but she has just fallen in line. What makes it even worse for me is that she praised HC every time she got up in the HOA (I now understand why…she was benefitting). She has left me confused and discouraged because it feels like hope is gone if even our young legislators are caught up in this mess.
Bruhaha should not refer to Belonger Status… Disrespectful. But the polls will sing come Monday.
When they were granted status they had never qualify. NOW the five year period has passed. stop lie. persons who applied AFTER 5 years still waiting more than 2 years. that’s the trickery from immigration. Pay Immigration and you get your application to the front. No 1 right away in the pile.
If you vote for this knucklehead it will be an honest oversight
What you all expect ? Is his cuz-in-law.
Got to be loyal.
Wah you all expect? Is his cuz-in-law
Got to be loyal.That why he is the Deputy.
Spanish wife me boy