Tourist in court for overstaying during job search

Two cousins slapped with immigration charges have been fined $1,000 each.

Kendel Jeremy, a native of the Commonwealth of Dominica who came to the British Virgin Islands (BVI) last year as a tourist, was charged with overstaying.

Twenty-three year-old Pockwood Pond resident Brandon Abel, who is a Belonger in the BVI, was charged with harbouring a person who is overstaying.

They were fined after they pleaded guilty before Magistrate Ayanna Baptiste-DaBreo last week Friday.

Magistrate Baptiste-DaBreo ordered Abel to pay the fine for harbouring his cousin or serve two months in prison.

Jeremy was given a similar order. If the sum is not paid by May, he will also serve two months at Her Majesty’s Prison.

Magistrate Baptiste-DaBreo, in the meantime, left the Dominican visitor in the custody of Immigration officers.

What happened

The prosecution reported that Jeremy entered the BVI as a tourist in early September last year and was permitted to stay for a month.

Before the month was up, he moved to Abel’s Pockwood Pond residence and had been staying there.

It is reported that police met Abel on January 31 and asked him for his name and address.

Following a conversation with law enforcers, it was revealed that Abel had been harbouring his cousin whose time in the territory had expired.

Both offenders met with Immigration officers on the following day.

While giving statement to the said officers, Abel reportedly explained that he was helping his cousin to secure a job in the BVI.

Jeremy, in the meantime, admitted to remaining in the territory without leave from an Immigration officer. Both cousins were then charged.

Shortly before being sentenced, Abel told Magistrate Baptiste-DaBreo: “It wasn’t my intention to keep my cousin so long.”