Town hall meetings for Residence, Belonger status start this week
A number of town hall meetings are expected to get underway this week which will help the government in revising its current immigration policy.
The town hall meetings are scheduled to take place on the four main islands with the first meeting commencing on Wednesday, October 11 at the Eileen Parsons Auditorium at the H Lavity Stoutt Community College at 6:30 pm.
A second meeting follows on October 12 at the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) campus tent at the same time.
The government said it is seeking input on the development of revised immigration policies and noted that the formulation of these policies is in line with its overall objective to strengthen policy guidelines for processing Residence and Belonger status applications.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley said previously that recommendations in the Commission of Inquiry’s Independent Reviewer’s Report on Residence and Belonger status offer a distinct opportunity to shape the trajectory of progress in the territory.
“The recommendations of this review have now been presented to us, and I wish to emphasise that this presents us with a unique opportunity to shape the future of our beloved British Virgin Islands in a manner that is firmly grounded in respect for the law and recognition of the privilege granted to individuals who wish to make these beautiful Virgin Islands their home,” the Premier said.
Premier Wheatley stressed that it is critical for the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sustainable Development that all organisations and stakeholders that constitute the immigration policy’s institutional framework contribute to the ongoing discussion on the revised policy.
Among other things, the independent review conducted by former Permanent Secretary Kedrick Malone highlights the significance of addressing pervasive issues surrounding immigration.
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HEAR WE GO AGAIN, ,WE JUST MAKIN SHT UP AS THEY GO………………………………………………………….NO PLAN…………….NO VISION…………WE SOON GONE…….
The Government should not be seeking input and advice from the general public on such a matter. They should be seeking to create a plan for the national development of the BVI and understanding that population management is one element of this plan. Controlled growth is what is required not people seeking to protect their vested interests, especially those who have no experience or expertise in this area of science.
Meeting about what to discuss??? Already Governor said anyone living here for 10 years they are eligible for Residency also he said it is law , right????
You do realize laws can me amended right?
The Criteria for Residence should be more than residing here for 10 years. They need to address the abuse of processes.
@ stripes
Love it! Immigration have one of the best policies throughout the world, the weakness came about when some politicians start the battle cry that status was a privilege, then COI found it’s the laws on a book hidden. I would want to know
Crime:How many expatriates is involved in crime, sentence and spend time in prison. This would need immediate immigration policy to change. I wish it could say, we na feed no one put am on the next plane. But when it comes to native, send them to the underground in the UK strengthen the policy to the max.
Workers: This should be seasonal, with the engagement of the school children after graduation to take those positions.
Security: Give the investigation department, some work to do, so they are productive in the overstaying of those expat.
Nation building, requires, productive people, innovative people,security in all facets of living. Build more skill schools and no more prison.
This island do not have a chiropractor, or enough counselors,plummers, electricians and psychologists give scholarships for the areas that need to be filled , and have work for those who returned,then it will reduce import Labour, in five to ten years.
@Redstorm – Unfortunately a population of skilled workers does not happen overnight. If you want to train school leavers to be plumbers, electricians or Doctors you need to wait 3 to 5 years for them to complete training. They also need to be academically competent to complete the training in said field, and more importantly want to follow that path. The next question would be who would be training these students to the highest level of expertise? The local population has few and far between experts in most fields, and they are not lecturers or trainers. So although this is perhaps a long term solution to some of the territory needs, it is not a fix all. If the BVI needs a brain surgeon, how many school leavers will be planning to follow that route and succeed? Therefore this territory relies on expats to be employed to fill the huge gaps of knowledge, experience and expertise. Get rid of your expats and keep treating them as second class citizens but with no rights to anything and you may just see the fall of Rome in your own back yard!
Belongers can train on the job just like expats if they are given the opportunity. A lot of people come to the BVI and have no clue, but they are given opportunities locals are not given. Plumbers use grey pipes for water and say they are plumbers. You know better – not everyone who come saying they can do can really do. They learn right here. A Jamaican told me just the other day that when he came to the BVI he knew absolutely nothing about masonry, but he has become the biggest mason in the BVI.
I had a situation where someone recommended a carpenter, who could not cut a straight line. When I delved into his skills or the lack thereof, I learned that he was a police officer in Santo Domingo.