Belongership is a privilege not a right — Premier
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has stated categorically that residency in the Virgin Islands is a privilege and not a right so time spent in the territory cannot be the sole determining factor in granting Belonger status.
In a live statement earlier today, the Premier acknowledged that immigration reform as one of the most sensitive topics that must be addressed in the territory. He said a discussion must commence on what is in the best interest of the Virgin Islands beginning with granting Belongership.
The Premier explained that like most countries, the Virgin Islands has an immigration regime in place to grant residency to people who have been living, working, and participating in community life in the territory.
“However, residency for Belongership is a privilege, not a right. It is important to make this clear and because residency for this purpose is a privilege, not a right, the government has developed arrangements to determine who deserves that privilege. Here in the Virgin Islands, residency for Belongership is not automatically granted based on the duration of time spent in the territory,” Dr Wheatley said.
“The number of years spent cannot be the sole determining factor in granting Belongership. Patriotism, sound knowledge and history of the Virgin Islands and your social and civic contribution to society are all very important factors. Residency and Belongerships are privileges that must be earned,” the Premier added.
He explained that the socioeconomic dimension must also be considered when granting residency in terms of what the society can reasonably accommodate and sustain over time.
Dr Wheatley mentioned that over the years, various governments have instituted different arrangements to determine who has earned the privilege of residency for Belongership.
“The existing eligibility criteria contained in the Immigration and Passport Act was put in place over 20 years ago… This law permits a person to apply for residency for Belongership for as early as 10 years of living in the territory. A subsequent government that saw the amended law as open-ended, convoluted, and unsustainable because it would change the social and political landscape of the Virgin Islands, adopted a policy in Cabinet in 2004 that doubled the duration of time to 20 years before an application for residency for Belongership could be made and limited the number of persons that could be approved annually for residents to 25,” the Premier said.
He added the legality of the policy has been questioned several times. The first was by the Complaints Commissioner as early as 2013 because of the inconsistency with the law. The Premier added that the policy’s contradiction was also captured in the annual report of the International Ombudsman Institute 2012-2013.
“This problem was also picked up in the Commission of Inquiry. The Commission of Inquiry report recommended a review of the existing residency policy and processes for granting Belongership status including the open discretion by Cabinet to grant such statuses and the length of residence required for Belongership amongst other things,” Dr Wheatley said.
“Where we find ourselves today is that we have an immigration law on the book that allows for applicants to apply for residency for the purpose of Belongership after 10 years and sets no set limits on how many applications can be approved per year. We also have had a policy in place for some time that is inconsistent with the law because it doubles the time for application for residency for Belongership and severely limits the number of approvals per year. Both the existing law and longstanding policy are not fit for purpose and have been the cause for much confusion,” he added.
He noted that while applications for residency can be submitted as early as 10 years under the law, there is a process that must be followed to consider whether applicants have earned the privileges of being granted residency.
“Previous governments have failed to amend the law of change policy as previously recommended but the Government of National Unity will do so in a manner that is clear, fair and in a manner that is socially and economically sustainable. However, we are not going to make any legislative changes unless we consult the people,” Dr Wheatley said.
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Is like they forget.
And here again Nataly shows he is not fit for office.
In 2022 clear and transparent governance is needed. You want people to do more than just live here for 10 years, that’s fine. But it has to be defined. And not again this vague, we can do what we want policy bogus.
Nataly, Get governance in place or go.
The ministers often talk about ‘giving to’ and ‘participating in community life’ but those on work permits are officially unable to offer their free time as volunteers, even for charity work under labor code. Meaning in order to serve the community and those in need, you have to break the law.
When you apply they ask what you done to help, say nothing they say not good enough, say you did stuff they say you broke the law, can’t have status.
Why stop those on full time permits (which must require enough to live on to be given?) from doing volunteer and charity work?
Politically suicidal for the HOA so no decision to be made, just more rhetorical debate. No new news , HOA daring the governor to enforce a decision, who thank god isn’t that stupid.
Here we go; as expected the fingers of the tiny ruling elite will not be prized off the cookie jar, without a struggle.
Don’t waste a lot of time on this, UK. If they won’t honour their commitments, drop the hammer. Unless there is major reform of the franchise there will be no improvement in anything.
What have we got for the billions of government revenue since the 1980’s? Third world infrastructure, and terrible public education and health services.
Premier, I glad you clarify. Yes let us have the discussion. You need to ensure ancestral Virgin Islanders are not overtaken. We can approve some deserving people as belongers, but not every Tom, Dick and Harry.
unmmm…. why still negociating belonger for money then? women and men are here only 8 and less years thant the ones here over 20 years ? this is not legal still corrupted people
JUST FIXX THE LAW IT SAYS 10 YRS MAKE IT 10YRS. WHY THE DISOBIENDANCE. GIVE AND TAKE THEY PAY TAXES WORK FOR LESS MONEY PAY LIGHT WAATER AND EVEN ROBB AT WESTERN UNION AND MONEY GRAM. WHAT YOU GUYS WANT BLOODD DAMMM. THESES PEOPLE ARE BLACK PEOPLE JUST LIKE U ALL. WHAT THE H**L. FIX THE LAAW. ITS SYS 10 YRS. JESUS
REMEMBER U NOT A TRUE VIRGIN ISLANDER 3 GENERATIONS DOWN ON BOTH SIDES. SPOKEN BY A TRUE VIRGIN ISLAANDER. SO ALL OFF U ALL IN THE SAME SHOES. LEAVE THE ISLAND PEOPLE ALONE. GIVE THEM THEY RIGHTS. BAD PEOPLE
REMEMBER U NOT A TRUE VIRGIN ISLANDER 3 GENERATIONS DOWN ON BOTH SIDES. SPOKEN BY A TRUE VIRGIN ISLAANDER. SO ALL OFF U ALL IN THE SAME SHOES. LEAVE THE ISLAND PEOPLE ALONE. GIVE THEM THEY RIGHTS. BAD PEOPLE
Depends on who you are and how deep your pockets are.
And how should “EXEMPTION ” be earned according to the law??
Now the white man find out the problem..Thanks to the White man, Now you Mr. Premier Make sure immigration get a directive to follow the Law and stop the bias…These people need switching up, that is the start of a true commitment to fix the problem…
It was nice seeing you here but a great pleasure in knowing you left.
Bye
You missed Mary and Jane.
so you live here for 10 yrs or 20 yrs and out of those yrs you only paid into social security 5 ys and you never paid any income tax and you live in a one bedroom apartment with five others and you want belonger status. is it to bring more poverty on this small island?? I always said that residency and belonger status should never be based on the yrs lived here alone .it should always be a combination of many things. thank you premier to clear this up
We don’t want no more bad mind hungry belly Jamaicans in we place
What about having decent roads in East End? Is that a privilege too or do we have to keep playing hopscotch?
This statement made although many would not like it, it is total facts he is talking. Truly i believe the BVI is the only place in the world whereby “expats” get to talk to some negative thing about the island/territory they in and still manage to live to see another year.
Other places in the world they done lock you up or kill you for the slander.
I was born i raise here, and been many other places than here, but i will never go another mans land and disrespect his country or place of born infront of him.
Expats love to do that here to locals.
Them: Oh you island this and that, it’s corrupt and full of crime
Me: Ok, so why the f’ you still here. If my island so F’d up so.
Sick of them now.
I WILL DEFEND MY LAND UNTIL I DIE
Time to take away all their US passports and illegal citizenship. Being a US citizen is a privilege and the racist island negro does not have the right to citizenship because they dropped their turd in USVI or Puerto Rico
I wish the UK drop the hammer today. These people are a joke. 10 years is 10 years! Those same 10 years of contributions to NHI and SSB are ok right ? 10 f#$&ing years. Not 10 years and bribe !
Governor please this is enough. They are trying to keep the BVI a closed apartheid society where only the few wealthy run everything. These people need to be brought before the United Nations Human Rights Commission but most important suspend the constitution and provide law and order.
Some believe it’s a right. Imagine they believe they have more rights than us. I can’t go another Caribbean country and claim or rather demand the same right ps as their natives. Yet they feel just as entitled. Can you imagine?
100% If you volunteer you are breaking the law, breaking the law!!
UK need to help and help FAST PLEASE!
People must be respected in their country and of course they must come first this build up
problem comes from back in the early eighties from families that were the recipients of broken marriage due to an exp man or woman
Men abusing their indigenous spouse because of an expatriate
Children born out of these union and siblings or one parent are forced to accept them .
Resentment begun to build up
The children of these marriages who were born here begun to make up for low esteem by asserting their rights on those who did not have that right.
With the BVI getting affluent more families had to deal with unfaithful partners and embrace step children
Parents begun to side against one parent , siblings rivals started and pent up hate begun
This has festered in the society for years . There is hate against UK because of the slavery issue : they have the greater share of the wealth in the BVI . Study anthropology and you would get a better on-site of the underlying tension between indigenous, belongership , residents etc . Don’t take my word for it do the research
Our people responsible for that. We have some of the most bad minded Negroes on the planet. They don’t mind if foreigners make it but will do anything to keep down their own. Everything we are facing now is a result of our bad mind. Crooked and corrupt to the bone. The former premier would still be here with his prayer and fasting bulls**t pretending to be holier than thou as a cover for criminality. That is the downfall of the country and its gonna get worse because y’all ain’t trying to learn.thinking money and materialism is the ultimate. Put a hog in a palace he still remain a pig.
And you have just given away that privilege to thousands with lots of money who will displace Virgin Islanders and other belongers. You are unfit for office. You have been mentally colonized.
Please. Pleaze. Please. Stop blaming the good Premier and creating Scandal. Focus on the constitution on the members on the Committee in 2007. They were politicians, Lawyers and prominent BVI Landers..Let the Law takes it course…
Belonger and resident is not given to people it is lend, they can take it back. Where will some of these people live when they retire, when the price of buying a home is out of reach. Another thing they lower the time that one can apply for belonger to 10 years but don’t hold your breath it may take 15 to 20 years to approve.
was included in the 2007 BVI Constitution yet 15 years later the HOA has yet to legally establish the HRC. Why? NDP started the process in mid 2017 but H. Irma’s wrath stopped the process then and successive HOAs have never tried again.
The prohibition on volunteerism by outsiders is regressive. Theoretically, you can’t volunteer at the church or your kids schools. You can’t do it for beach clean up. You can’t do it when you give someone a ride. You can’t do it when you do a bake sale to raide money for a school trip. So, who benefits from this? Or, is it that there are hordes of BVIslanders ready to volunteer for these things that we just have too many of them?
Don’t like it? Use your US passport and move to your other country.
Do you think your “ancestral Virgin Islanders” and the thousands of 10yr+ and lifetime residents will be better off, get better healthcare, be better educated, be safer, achieve higher standards of living by being ruled only by your small group of family and friends?
Or are you saying you don’t care about people who are not from your family and friends circle?
Or are you saying you would prefer a territory that is third world when it shouldn’t be, just so you and your family/friends circle can have control?
If so, you are putting your insecurity above your common sense and human decency.
Go on hate me, because I’m not an ancestral VIslander. I must be a colonial oppressor, etc. etc.
Then go and look in the mirror and ask yourself what outcome you want for your self and your grandchildren. Poor health? No education? Dangerous roads? Sewage all over Town? Gangsters and shooting and cartel control?
Come on BVIslanders, really?
That’s what these politicians want!
They want control and in return everyone in the BVI, including tourists, to suffer below third world conditions on roads and school (what school?), sewage health and environment.
And all the time they’re not smart enough to notice they don’t have control anyway, it’s the cartels have control, not 3×3 generation BVIslanders.
Your a paranoid bigot..You think it’s a privilege When you get your UK passport..it’s a right you bigot..nationalist scum
You’re all uptight about the wrong things.
Is the place you happen to be born (you did not choose to be a BVIslander) sacred just because you happen to be born there?
So sacred you want to bring harm on anyone who insults any part of it?
Why does this nationalism talk make people turn into wannabe psycho killers?
Same people learn morals, go church, etc but when it comes to things they have zero control over, like where they or their grandmother was born, they think God wants them to be hateful murderers?
I don’t get it.
This is in reply to @FedUp
Fix the law to say what you want it to be, i.e. 20 years. Then make sure to comply.
Give everyone belongership status, including those who pay no social security and NHI because they are here 10 years, so that they could become dependents.
Hmmm, People like Jes…..ca Bro……rick will become a belonger, then she will lift her feet and actually kick black people. What a mess!
@Roger Burnett… you should know. Did the maid satisfy your a$$ good enough?
@Dude church going is a front for a body full of willful nastiness…xynophobic badmindedness.And it’s prevelant from the time you touch her to work and not just spend your money on taxi and bra h chair
#BVIrightsnow
The bvi cabal got it whole self ontop of the whites and mostly their Caribbean brothers and sisters necks..terrible..please stop.
My children have right because their was a tartolian so don’t know what the h**l is he saying they don’t even care to have it because they are American born so stop being like that about privilege
BVILove
ONEBVI
What a fkn joke.
I am a work permit holder , my take on this topic is that granting us status after ten years is very good only if the individual is paying their tax , Ss ,NHI and having proven that they have a valid bank account that is active over the period of 8 years. But I don’t see were volunteering could work because under the work and labour act it stated that a work permit holder cannot work for any apart from their employer , free or paid.
Sound like expat take your man or woman , if u wasn’t so lazy that could never happen. Focus on what the topic is at this time and stop the hateing