BVI News

Over 400 visitors, work permit holders left the territory so far

Hundreds of work permit holders and visitors have exited the British Virgin Islands in the last few months, Labour & Immigration Minister Vincent Wheatley has stated.

Speaking on the Honestly Speaking radio programme on Tuesday, August 18, he said 467 persons left between March 31 and July 15.

“The last number I had, which was about three weeks ago, was over 800 persons who were visiting from all over the world who were stuck in the BVI,” Wheatley stated.

While he was unable to say precisely how many of the 467 persons are visitors, he said the number of visitors is lower because “there are planes going almost every day [and] it should be down to a few hundreds”.

“There are a lot of people in this country currently not doing anything apart from work permit holders who may have been laid off,” he added.

The minister said data indicates that a total of 294 employees have been released from their jobs, 1,263 were laid off, and 175 are uncategorised.

Wheatley had previously announced that government would assist expatriate residents who lost their jobs to COVID-19 to leave the territory.

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22 Comments

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  1. Nice says:

    Thank god some them island people gone out

    Like 7
    Dislike 55
  2. Dirty heart says:

    They don’t like nothing better SMH

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  3. Anonymous says:

    I guess you think that 21.5 square miles of Tortola is a big country and not an Island..look in the mirror- Islander- stop the hate!!

    Like 32
    Dislike 4
  4. Yeeeaahhhh says:

    Rent will be cheaper soon.. landlords will be begging people to stay..

    Like 66
    Dislike 3
  5. Hmm says:

    This talk on these blogs getting OLD NOW!! *rolling my eyes*

    Like 15
    Dislike 1
  6. Red eye says:

    As soon you get out and make space for someone who can really afford to pay rent instead of excuses a set of noise about can go back home and still don’t want to go prefer take hungar before well saw

    Like 1
    Dislike 16
  7. LOCAL says:

    Let them go locals need an apartment!!

    I known of a landlord who don’t want and wont rent her place to no more expats because they have petty excused when it comes to paying of rent!

    So when They love to say local don’t rent apartment! keep in mind “But if our parents have a home why we going to rent? ”

    Also! Unlike Expats living 6 to 8 of them sharing a 2 room and 4 of them sharing a 1 room we locals don’t do that! we have pride in ourselves.

    Like 5
    Dislike 39
  8. Charnele says:

    When will we love our own people? Blacks don’t like blacks how do we expect others to like us. With statements like let the island people go, no mention of the Filipinos, whites, Chinese. We will never learn.

    Like 20
    Dislike 3
  9. patriotic says:

    that 400 less spending in supermarkets, possibly NHI and SS contribution, 400 restaurant patrons poorer and so on and so fort. emty apts and gouses as well

    Like 17
    Dislike 3
  10. Jam down says:

    You should be ashame to say that all of you should own your own houses with all the mouth u all have

    Like 11
    Dislike 3
  11. SMDH says:

    Not one Filipino, Asian, or white person wished that hurricanes or earthquake would destroy the BVI. They didn’t like that they were affected by the lock out and sure they complained just like everybody else but they never took it that far like our fellow brothers from the Caribbean.

    Like 8
    Dislike 7
  12. Pray says:

    I want all the nurses and teachers leave. some say as soon as england open up they gone. Andrew playing the wrong game and soon he will feel the pinch

    Like 16
    Dislike 2
  13. Scary says:

    This discrimination game with expats is a dangerous one. The word of God condemns the way you all are treating people. I am really having a hard time understanding the realness of this and all I can say is God have mercy on the BVI. Forgive them for they know not what they are doing.

    Like 17
    Dislike 2
  14. It’s time says:

    For BVI Finance to step up. This dangerous rhetoric needs to end. It will be the end of the BVI’s fragile economy. We are migrating more and more companies and clients to jurisdictions where they are treated more professionally. For decades it has been the job of expats in finance to try to make excuses for the service levels here at FSC or with certain less/non-qualified colleagues. Clients simply are not interested. We even have people persuaded to move here with their business lock stock and grow the industry and economy and invariably they go to Cayman and Singapore within 12 months.

    What is it you want? THese expats you are bashing worked 20 hour days trying to put the place back together after having gone through the ordeal of Irma shoulder-to-shoulder with BVIslanders. Families were split and already stressful times were made worse as they tried to maintain the BVI finance industry. This echo had to evacuate with destroyed homes and responsibility for business continuity came back as soon as accommodation could be found, even though landlords hiked the rent. Now they are fighting for the BVI against external pressures from the EU, US and other political and economic factors to keep BVI in business while being locked down Again shoulder to shoulder with BVIslanders And trying to support local businesses despite having their own economic uncertainty, and now they are abused by Government as some kind of imposters. All this from a set of supposed Christians! Cayman got huge spikes in business when Bermuda and Bahamas each screwed around like this and they never got the funds back from Cayman and even Cayman insurance boomed. Is our Government unable to learn stark and basic lessons? Do they realise that their comments are heard outside of this tiny set of villages?

    Like 13
    Dislike 1
  15. dogs says:

    you ever see two male crabs in the same hole?

    After you all finish fight we expats and island people you all will turn on each other!

    Wait too late… that done start happening already.

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  16. Empty says:

    400 is Nothing Compare to the Amount that will be leaving soon as the Boarders Open the population would return to the figures in the eighties or even less so the place will be freed up

  17. To the moderators says:

    Please stop letting people post so much negative comments, the is going to destroy the country further

    Like 1
    Dislike 3
  18. @Local says:

    You are really wrong for your comments. I know you feel so proud to be able to make these comments to insult persons not from the BVI. I have never in my life seen such nasty people before I met BVI Islanders. If you all could see the homes we have back home.

    Remember also that more Islanders live outside of the country. How do they live. Maybe in an hall way.

    Like 3
    Dislike 3
  19. Hello says:

    We do not hate islanders. Follow our laws, keep the place clean, stop criticizing us and stop trying to take over our island. Just do your job and reside here peacefully. Due to today’s situation, some may have to leave due to no employment. It’s just life.

    Like 4
    Dislike 1
  20. Local says:

    You all do not get it. Locals donot hate expats. It is just the attitude and pulling down of locals by expat. Do you realy think that we are going to roll over and play dead while you take advantage.
    We are happy that you are able to build your big houses in your country while you work in ours but yet you are not satisfied you jealous us for what we have. Things are hard now look at what is happening world wide. Every Government is looking out for their own the gravy train have com to an end for every body. It will get better again. Over the years a lot of people from all over the world better themselves because of the opportunities the get in the BVI. You all stop hating.

    Like 2
    Dislike 4
  21. BVIslanders First says:

    BVIslanders first. Plain and simple. If you go to Saint Lucia, Lucian’s first. Kitticians first in Saint Kitts. Dominica’s first in Dominica.

  22. Anonymous says:

    Thats what you Locals want so…. do not complain when you all stay alone and start to do the hard job what is impossible because local people lazy …get ready lol

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