Man who overstays for 15 years ordered deported

Governor John Duncan has ordered the deportation of the St Lucian native who overstayed in the British Virgin (BVI) Islands for 15 years.

Edgar Lucien, who was given permission to stay for seven days when he initially arrived in August 2002, recently pleaded guilty to overstaying a landing permit.

Governor Duncan, in the deportation order signed on June 27, noted that Lucien was being deported under the Immigration and Passport Ordinance.

He said Lucien is not a belonger in the BVI, and that he has been convicted for the offence of overstaying which is punishable with imprisonment of three months or more.

The governor added that Lucien’s presence in the territory would be undesirable and not conducive to the public good.

“I do further order that the said Edgar Lucien be placed on board the first available ship or aircraft about to leave the territory, and that the said Edgar Lucien may be detained until he is placed on a ship or an aircraft,” added Governor Duncan.

The Magistrate’s Court, in the meantime, recently heard that Lucien was nabbed when his optical health started to deteriorate, and so he booked a flight to return to his homeland of St Lucia.

When he tried to depart the BVI on May 24 this year, officials at the Terrence B Lettsome International Airport informed him that his passport had expired.

They further told Lucien to visit the Civil Registry and Passport Office in Road Town to address the issue.

Upon visiting that office, Lucien was told that he would have to get an emergency travel document from the Immigration Department.

The 65-year-old then went to the Immigration department to obtain the emergency document.

That’s when he was arrested after immigration official found out that he was overstaying in the BVI.