Just under 200 Belongerships issued in the last two years
Statistics from Premier Andrew Fahie has indicated that just under 200 Belongership statuses were issued to expatriate residents in the last two years while the NDP was still in government.
Premier Fahie provided the statistics at a recent sitting of the House of Assembly while responding to questions from Opposition legislator, Julian Fraser.
He said 75 Belongerships were issued between January 1, 2017, and February 10, 2018. A total of 115 were found to be issued between January 1, 2018, and to February 10, 2019.
Breakdown
There were a total of 47 Belongership granted through marriage and 28 through tenure (years spent in the BVI) in 2017.
“For January 1, 2017, to December 2017, we must take this one with an ‘asterisk’ because this was the year of the hurricane so business was not as usual,” Premier Fahie explained.
When the BVI issued 115 Belongerships between January 2018 and February 10, 2019, 48 were through marriage will the remaining 69 was through tenure.
Notably, the new VIP government recently launched a regularization initiative to grant Belongership and/or permanent residency to select expatriate residents. However, following a major backlash from members of the indigenous population and subsequent town hall meetings with government, the Fahie administration has postponed that initiative.
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Especially in light of what just happened I am appealing to the other ministers of Government to stop this man from ruining our countries.
It is alleged he is running the country based on prophecy from men who have an agenda.
The people of this country continue to vote in people based on popularity and not based on ethics and commitment to serve.
There need to be in place a proper process in place before we grant any form of citizenship.
You all politicians must remember the curse of a nation on top of your heads is worst than any other sin.
Stop this man calling himself king and running a dictatorial style Government. Remember you are there to serve the people not just a few with an agenda. You other ministers get the courage and do the right thing.
So let me ask you? You really think they out here giving out belongers without appropriate checks? But I guess its only islanders commit crime ?
Are the belonger status for free aren’t the people paying their money for it?
They paying so that means they should get it
One question! Are you BVI islander or US born pseudo BVI islander?
Isn’t there anything else on the premier list if things to do? Why is it all about belonger for him, sick and tired of him already. The hurricane season is up on us please start cleaning the guts and gutters I’m fed up.
What foolishness are you asking? The Premier was answering a question in the Parliament. He also has been launching many other initiatives so what is your problem.
And who will be doing that work?
This is a very serious situation. A matter of national security
According to the 2010 census, there are prob around 20,000 belongers, so another 200 adds about 1%. Like that would change the outcome of an election…
We need to enforce a law where you can only spend about 7 years and then leave. You may apply and return after only if they cant find a local to fill that spot. Pregnant people on work permits should also be sent back to their home country to birth their children
And that would be the end of all inward investment.
yes, enforce that law than your neighbors side chick and probably your’s will be kicked out of the country. LOL
way to erode any human rights whatsoever!
While you’re at it, you should just go the whole way and dictate that no foreign women of childbearing age should be granted work permits or be allowed in the Government service. That should do the trick.
How the h*** are you going to enforce that? Is the government supposed keep tabs on every single person who gets pregnant? What if someone can’t afford to leave their family/doctor/job? You’re going to arrest a pregnant woman and throw her in the back of a plane?
Such a fool
Honourable Fahie
I do not support your comparison of Virgin Islanders getting their children in the USVI, Puerto Rico and US to people from the other Caribbean Islands seeking status here. The children of Virgin Islanders by descent and heritage have their full rights here and most come back from birth and make their contributions throughout the years. Most virgin Islanders on both sides are related. You should not be condemning your own people for having their children outside of these Virgin Islands or for getting green cards! Let that be said by others!
Same thing to are you going st.thomas and have children and green card stupid.
That is a very disheartening statistic. You can become a Belonger through marriage but hardly anybody so far has been considered for belonging to the BVI due to their years of hard work and contribution to the country. But meanwhile persons who’s parents are from here but they themselves have never lived here and contributed have the privilege of Belonger Status as well as the privilege of other countries like the US. Don’t they even grant Belonger Status to persons, whose grandfather had been from here, but who themselves have never lived here and contributed. All you see here in these comments asking to not grant any Belonger status.
If I was born in the BVI and my parents are from St Vincent, can I not get a St Vincent passport as well? Why try to make it seem like only BVI belongers can inherit status. We know that is not the case. The law dictates that as a BVI belonger my children can inherit that right, so stop envying BVI belongers when you have the same right.
plenty expats here in the bvi working and doing plenty under cover jobs…
plenty has three and for vehicles license in pv licence plates and being rent out to person like a rental company…
this is happening with a lot of expats and plenty of the police officers…
then you have some whom are working in in certain field as fixing and setting up ac unit ALONG WITH plumbers and doing under cover contracts with companies without an trade license..
GOVERNMENT NEED TO LOOK INTO THIS AND LOOK INTO PERSONS WHOM NOT WORKING FOR WHO SPONSORED THEM BC THERE IS NO JOB SO THEY OUT THERE LOOKING JOB AND SIDE HUSTLE…
ALL THIS WILL LEAD UP TO PLENTY THIEF ROBBING AND KILLING IF THE BVI GOVERNMENT DON’T BE MINDFUL….
I consider myself a BVI-islander born outside of the BVI; but as birthed to my mother who was an indigenous BVI-slander whose parents were also indigenous Virgin Islanders. Their parents were also indigenous Virgin Islanders as well as her 8 siblings. I went to school and grew up in BVIs. Under. Under British Nationality Act, a child acquired rights from their father. Since my father, deceased, was not a BVI-Islander, I did not acquire official BVI status until sometime in my 30s.
Immigration Regularization Imitative:
Because of BVI proximity to the US Virgins, our shopping, trading, medical services etc, BVI has adopted the US Dollar as its official currency since 1959;even though it as been trading in US dollars prior and leading to its official use. These and other practices put the BVI in a unique position to attract citizens of other Caribbean countries and beyond to work and live. For me personally,this is a good thing; and if because of our unique situation the lives of others can be improved, I am all for it.
It is understandable though, that due to our small size; only 60 sq miles, limited resources,our growing population and our obligations to our indigenous populations, sound and firm policies must be put in place,moving forward.
Yes, regularize the backlog of folks who have worked, lived among us, abide by our laws and customs and made some contributions.
Hmmm I support Andrew. Some of us have more than one passport most of bvi islanders children are us citizens and citizens of other Caribbean countries. One question for those who have passport of other country did you leave there for 20 yrs before qualifying for citizenship. What about bvi islanded who go to the state to give birth to children there and they have rights. I think I should ask the opposition leader how many passport he has and all ministers of government how many of them have children born in other countries and how many passport they have. I think it more than just this people coming to take over their land or populate the place this is deep hatred. I think the word expatriate should be change because I believe it makes the locals feel less important but all same the bvi can’t survive on it own without expatriate they are needed for economic development and if they want to make the bvi their home they should welcome them. This is tourism island. How do you want people to visit when they get to here that the people of the islands do not Like them. Hmmm something happen in the past because the bvi was never like this we need to unite hope all goes well
So, how many have gotten belonger status over the past ten years?
Depending on the site you visit the BVI growth rate is between 1% and 1.5% historically. With a population of 32,000 that works out to at most 480 persons.
why 480 matters the 2nd district was won by 85 votes, the 4th was won by 57, the 6th by 64 and the 7th by 46. Giving the right to vote to just 228 more people could have changed the government completely.
This is not a comment about it being good or bad, just pointing out there is a bigger long term impact to the Virgin Islands than just if you have to get time stamped in your passport or not.
Dont let people divide us for perceived political gains, there is merit in the fact the process needs to be fixed and there is merit in questioning is the proposed approach the best for country.
No taxation without representation
Wait for it duck.