Give them their rights! O’Neal condemns ‘using’ expats
Territorial At-Large candidate, Allen O’Neal, has said local lawmakers need to create a fair and inclusive immigration and labour policy that is free from victimisation and discrimination.
O’Neal, while speaking at a National Democratic Party (NDP) rally in the Second District last evening, alluded to what he said was a ‘One BVI’ concept the party intended to pursue.
But even within that policy, O’Neal said an examination needs to be done of how migrants are adapted to the society once the come to live in the territory, including instances where persons have lived in the BVI for most of their working lives.
According to O’Neal, one person he spoke with said he lived in Purcell Estate for more than 28 years but is only now able to vote for the first time at the upcoming elections this month.
“How could it happen?” O’Neal asked. “You know, the laws are there. If whatever amount of time that you have to spend in the country in order to get your rights, give the people the rights, once they pass that time.”
The political candidate said he has known too many expatriates who have been “suffering and falling between the cracks” because of what he described as a simple issue which has a simple solution.
“We have to be, not just using people and taking advantage of them as if they’re second and third class citizens,” O’Neal said. “In fact, they’re not citizens at all, because you haven’t given them any citizenship, so we have to correct this.”
O’Neal said he pledged to work tirelessly to see that the issue is addressed once he becomes elected.
O’Neal’s comments come even as lawmakers have embarked on a review of the territory’s policy on residency and Belongership and how it should be implemented after a Commission of Inquiry (COI) report found that the government’s existing policy has flouted that section of the immigration laws for years.
A previous NDP government introduced a policy where persons were only allowed to apply for such immigration status after living in the territory for 20 years, despite the law stipulating that persons can apply after living in the BVI for 10 years.
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Even though persons come here young in their teens and early twenties, after applying for residency not even an acknowledgement that your application is received, you are lucky if you receive it and if you do you receive Permanent Residency when you are late 50, 60 or 70. One can live anywhere in the world and if someone stay in a country that long why treat them like that!!!
Let’s see.
Final straw. This man off my list!!
Did O’Neal just say that about expats and citizenship?
OMG!!! Where was he all the time? Did he just wake up from under one of those Rocks from VG Baths? Is he really a NDP Candidate? Wasn’t it NDP who said expats cannot even apply for citizenship until they have lived in BVI for 20 years? Apply after 20 years, let alone getting the status.
The law also said a person who is married to a Belonger should get status after 3 years of marriage and leaving together, wasn”t it NDP who changed it to 5 years?and even after applying after 5 years it would take 10 (TEN) years before the status is granted. This is real facts. Mr. O’Neal, there are too many real live examples of this having happened during NDP reign. I am sure first lady can attest and agree to this.
The gentleman who is now able to vote for the first time after leaving here for 28 years should say Thank You to VIP who did that fast track and granted thousands of folks like him the privilege to get status and be able to vote now, for the first time. Thanks to VIP. There are so many more like him. Even after VIP said people from a certain number of years were eligible, wasn’t it NDP who kicked up and cried foul causing VIP to up the year to 15 years? So what are you talking about you having to fight to fix what was already fixed almost 4 years ago.
Wake up partnar, oh you already wake up too late. We are good with VIP. The only thing now for them to do, thank God this so called minister for Natural Resources and Labour will be gone for good, VIP will get a minister with a heart and conscious and give us someone who will ensure that work permits will be processed within the month when an application is submitted and both Employer and Employee will move on happily ever after to accomplish their working goals.
We are voting VIP All The WAY, Bam, Bam, Bam!!! No spliting of votes and like Barbados, there will be no opposition. Come on BVI, let us show the world we are a people who are serious and ready to change our BVI world. We can, Yes we can!!!!
Give them their Rights! Yeah, what about the Rights of Virgin Islanders who are suffering under the hands of their own People? If you can’t help your own that you are discrediting, how in tarnation you fighting for giving others Rights?
Thanks to the VIP for Fast Track , I am able to vote in a country that I live and work most of my adult life.
This is what happens when you have a thrown together party instead of a team that’s on the same page. No words for this guy….
Real TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yea he just kill his chances of being elected.
It have persons living here for more than 30 years and cannot vote yet.
BVI people catching h**l in BVI and he worried about the expats? Foh
The late Omar Hodge said it… If someone has lived here ten years and we haven’t figured out that person by then, something is wrong.
As black people , people of all races :whether
Indian
Maletto
Blacks
Spanish
Mexican
White
Phillipino
Etc
The deep hypocrisy that exist is killing the true economic progress in the BVI
Secretary hiding people correspondence when they get them because of prejudice
Heads of Department biased attitude because they do not like a particular person based on nationality
The public hospitality areas :
Land , Sea and air rudeness to outsiders and belongers
Civil servants quiet hostility because of political affiliation
Is crippling life in the BVI
I am so ashamed of my country and what it has become .
Love, respect, gratitude, guiniuen compassion for each other has turned into
Jealousy, hatred, indifference, prejudice selfishness is overcoming the good virtues of my country
Have residency, status, naturalized, have a BVI passport yet still can’t vote because we don’t have belonger status.
He has a conscience and is compassionate and considerate.
I ask a politician to help my friend with her papers, my friend was sent to another politician, that politician then send my friend to another. The frustration get so high an d stressful, after 35 years it was time to go, though I missed my friend, the fast track would have given that break that was so needed.
Including the expat now is still a change for some, but those who actually had the money, academic and community spirit are all gone.
We don’t think so much to see the good in people from another country as good contributors to society. We mostly see them as threats. But game over, when I told my politicians friend that it was a right for the people to attain this status, I was told that it’s a privilege, I did not create no argument, but let her know that God don’t like when the gold post is move so often to prevent the progress of the expats. Now, they are our sons wives and daughters husbands. Game over, the fat lady has sung.
It does not matter how long a belonger or exp marries into a BVI family you are always treated as an outsider . If you are lucky the family may open their arms to your children if it is their sisters child . A brother married to an outsider they hardly recognized that child .
This is a very interesting family structure
Well the in-laws who are exp . If you seem to be excelling, there is where problems start .
As a Christian society we all must live in respect .
Agree. It is shameful. We used to be a decent people. Now it seems like the flip side of all the love we have for each other is hatred of outsiders.
And its all because the few families of the BVI are afraid of giving up control. We want to to take from the outside world but don’t want the outside world to come in.
If we were big and smart not weak and insecure, we would welcome outsiders, grow as a people, be stronger, smarter and make better decisions for the BVI. Right now nothing can get better because its old families fighting over control of the steering wheel and the pocket book.
Because of this impasse, which makes us all suffer, we prefer to go backwards than accept that we are part of the world and work towards better lives for all BVIsland people.
The caucasian is still wracking up victory upon victory on dividing and keeping us divided while we strutt around totally oblivious to our malady and why we are sick.
Truth is, this topic only helps fuel the discord, and the comments clearly illustrates the disease.
When will we wake up and use our minds eye?
This is so I don’t know what to say. When I worked in immigration, I used to give people the application for residence once they were here in the Territory living for more than ten years. Political people used to b**ch but I knew what the LAW said. Anyone involved in drafting immigration legislation have to and must act and be seen to be acting within the legal aspects of the law at all times.
That “using” goes both ways Mr.O’Neal. Check yourself.
My child is now 23years old. Living here since she was 2weeks old. Had residency for the last eight years of her childhood life but now must go to immigration to beg for time. Sent in an application for residency 18months now and not even a response acknowledging receipt of the application. this is where we are.
@Guy,
I am glad to hear you did your part. I would rather take my chance with the West Indian expats than any other group of people. Because most of them show that they want to belong to develop along side the BVIslander. There are those who have Day Care Center, Machine Repair shop, Car Rental, Barber Shop and more.
The preventions of progress was high jacked at the making of laws,by laws, police’s, regulations and all the older folks who think they will be prevented from getting what the Lord promised them so they created barriers. Now God is dealing with BVI.
I thank God that the Unity party has some sensible people who come together to help this country. Now them all separated and fighting for self. When will we accept that Unity is the only way, because it give strenght.
Because when they see our names the person who receive the applications dunks them in a draw under her desk. not till years after then she brings them out. Racist but works in sync with the chief
Mr. ONEAL is pointing fingers!! His NDP team
Did not follow through with his views when they were in Government!!!
This issue that uou have address on this media platform is happening throughout the Caribbean my friend it is nothing new.