Policy being developed for BVI to house evacuees from St Vincent
The Department of Immigration has been instructed to create a policy for the BVI to house residents of St Vincent and the Grenadines who’ve had to evacuate their homes because of the ongoing eruption of the La Soufriere volcano.
Immigration Minister Vincent Wheatley made that announcement in the House of Assembly on Thursday, April 15.
He said: “I have charged the department to come up with policy and logistics that would allow us to host persons here in the BVI for a period of time until the situation in St Vincent and the Grenadines stabilises”.
“Once completed and approved, it will be communicated with the government of St Vincent and the Grenadines and the wider public here in the BVI,” Wheatley added.
He made that statement against the backdrop that “many persons” in the territory have connections to St Vincent and have “expressed interest in housing them here in the BVI”.
While the Immigration Department irons out the details of this soon-to-be-implemented policy, Wheatley said government is coordinating with several local agencies to bring relief supplies to the volcano-affected country.
He described this as the BVI’s “first response to this crisis”.
The BVI will ship its first barge-load of water and relief items to the volcano-affected country next week.
BVI and St Vincent share a special diplomatic relationship. Currently, there are more than 2,000 Vincentian nationals living in the BVI. This represents the single largest sub-group of the BVI’s expatriate community.
St Vincent and the Grenadines also recently became the first CARICOM country to establish a consular office in the British Virgin Islands.
Bishop Ishmael Charles is St Vincent’s first honourary consul for the office.
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Are you guys crazy where we going hold these people leave them where them at buddy it has other Caribbean islands down the island why we like to be in thing buddy. Who going feed theses people??? …
For real this government is something else I thought ndp was for the island people but it looks more like Vip
Y’all forgot who lend a helping hand when y’all was badly affected by the hurricane? Watch a bad minded set of people.
Lawdy the bvi going turn into Vincy now more ******** up in the place
I guess they will house them in section 8 the resorts they building up long Bush hill.
Thank u so much sir
Wait I thought this was a joke at first where in earth do Tortola have space to fit these down islanders. Again too these people will not leave when they come some will get under working permits and get jobs while bvi landers and belongers here suffering
I hope when the suffering is at u house u will be able to speak
Why he dont carry them virgin gorda?
this is great. bring them over but make sure they are all vaccinated and it be a win:win.
Win for them – obvious reasons.
Win for the BVI – this is probably the fastest way to get to 50% of the population to be vaccinated and open us … 🙂
Wow these comments
Some of you bvi islanders are very bad minded
I hope when y’all die ayo take the bvi with y’all
After Irma ayo a** was running to the UK and the US and those countries accept ayo sorry a**
God is watching
God’s watching how you refer to others in your comment as well.
Stop calling God’s name while using speech that goes against how he expects of us.
You know it’s BVI Islanders commenting?
All nations sent planes to pick up their citizens after the hurricane and left the tolians to fend for themselves but we built it back…Nobody aint really help us because they were all paid…Talk that!
My fellow BVI landers. We have our volcano ? coming too one of these days. Maybe in a different form. Help while we can.
Assisting others in time of disaster is a great duty. However, common sense shows the BVI in a very bad economic position where it would be a disaster to welcome anyone else, even for a short period of time. Isn’t it better to allow the folks to go to the places that have said they can take them and give as much support to those persons wherever they go. This is going to make it harder on us expats that live here not just BVIslanders. We can barely feed ourselves. I can under people taking their children or a spouse but heaven help us here. Common sense isn’t common at all. I guess we will all go down together.
All countries hurting, many a lot worse than we. They still helping an we should too.
its happening now …
COVID 19 closure blocked all tourism to the BVI ..
Who came and help the BVI? the USVI, they took all the tourist and their charter boats…
yes, that is how smart this gov is …
How much ah yo here talk bull how much of you run from the bvi after hurricane go states an England other places god will strike again this time it will be worse
eh, apples and oranges cause the ones who went the the us are the ones who have us citizenship/rights and same for the uk…
THERE ARE OTHER WAYS THE BVI CAN HELP THEM. IF YOU WANT TO LET THEM IN, WHICH IS GOING TO HAPPEN ANY WAY, TAKE THEM TO VIRGIN GORDA.
The BVI is in no position at this time to assist and that is okay. We cannot keep bing everything to everyone. Stop the madness right now we can’t even feed ourselves.
YES BVI can assist BUTTTTTT HOLD BRAKES will police reports, background checks,reputation references be done?
Will they be wanting to stay and trying to stay? look at the videos the very st Vincentians fraid dem own people so much they rather sleep near volcano to avoid theft and exploitation
Will government compensate landlords? local svg will tell BVI landlords what color dem arses are for not letting 5 in a one bedroom and 8 in a two bedroom mashing up the place and using off cistern water?
Will residents suffer loss of jobs and loss of safety as a result?
Will BVI culture which many Caribbean nationals disregard and call down suffer more?
Listen, BVI immigration and Labour already weak and the whites, Filipinos and others take serious advantage. One come and they want the whole Britton wagon to follow.
If they coming DO IT PROPERLY.
he only trying to get them island people back on he side
Mr. Minister now is a good time to ask your cabinet to lift the transfer tax on moneygram and western union for people in st vincent. That is one way you could help us
Guess only vincy send out money to vincy? Anyhow reason they won’t stay off FSN steep!
Make sure TO DO BACK GROUND CHECKS ON THE PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO LET IN.
the bvi is made up of plenty st vincentians then any other caribbean country however it is nice yes we help but bringing them here is risky , the covid break out more in st vincent since understood majority of the shelters are filled with covid cases bvi be vigilant nothing wrong in helping but full quarentine needed by the person responsible for them expense . not government expensive . anf please give them no more than 6 months stay , cause i over heard my neighbour talking bout she sending for her 10 grands to put in government schools , we dont have space for our own mustless , let them go private school if them wish to do such . cause i will kick up once our school get overpopulated by them .who vex let them be i never fraid . st vincentians need repent thats all from bringing your spell in the bvi
These jokers must be crazy. I am from Tortola and I have it so hard to come home,because of the virus, and you plan to bring in people with no place to keep them,please not in Carrot Bay, take them to VG.
Helping is a plus but housing no.Allow the bigger Caribbean Islands to do so and assist in other ways.
Im not trying to sound bad but we have ppl here that need this……. can’t take care of ppl here but we going bring in more.
Opinion: the cruise ships that we’ve house can that be an alternative????
Tortola ain’t ready for that just donate stuff.
When bvi was affected by the hurricane is the same vincy people and the down island people as alyo refer we as was helping yall out! Watch some bad minded people.
Y’all forgot who lend a helping hand when y’all was badly affected by the hurricane.
Without vision, a people perish!