Public reeducation needed post-COI implementation

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has emphasised the need for public reeducation to adapt to the new governance systems that will have been born from implementing the Commission of Inquiry (COI) recommendations.

In a recent interview, the Premier stated that the reforms are intended to create a clear and transparent system for sensitive issues such as immigration and Belonger status applications, for which past administrations usually processed with discretion.

The new approach aims to standardise decision-making processes to prevent further abuses of power and ensure fair treatment across all applications.

Dr Wheatley explained that his administration is committed to improving the public’s understanding of these changes. “It’s going to take some reeducation,” he stated. “It’s going to take us ensuring that our school curriculums properly are engaging students on what politics and what democracy and what governance means in the Virgin Islands. And as responsible citizens, what your rights are, and what you expect of a government.”

He added: “So, we have to go through a whole reeducation process because we’ve been called to operate at a higher level.”

The reforms follow the recommendations of the COI report, which found discrepancies between the Immigration & Passport Act and an immigration policy that was being applied.

“While we may not have agreed with every conclusion that Sir Gary Hickenbottom came to, I think it was evident for all to see through the Commission of Inquiry process and through the information that we all have known over years… that we have some challenges in our governance,” the Premier stated.

Dr Wheatley highlighted the importance of these reforms in achieving a more self-determined Virgin Islands, where elected governments take more responsibility for governance.

The government has already approved a new policy clarifying the discrepancies between the law and previous practices. Amendments to the Immigration & Passport Act are also currently being considered in the House of Assembly.