We’re selling our birthright when it comes to belongership
Second District Representative Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull has posited that BVIslanders have become afraid to shape the narrative on residency and belongership in a way that benefits them and preserves their culture.
Turnbull likened the backseat taken by BVIslanders to those who’ve sold their birthright in a way that has caused outsiders to take the lead and preserve their own interests.
“We’re at a place where we want everybody to have a say in what they want the Virgin Islands to be and a lot of times it’s for their own self interest and what they can get out of it. We have fallen victim to allowing ourselves to sell our birthright for a bowl of soup,” Turnbull said on the October 30 airing of the Morning Braff radio show.
Turnbull also gave his views on public meetings that are planned to discuss the matter with residents across the territory. He said although these meetings are fine, the government should be primarily focused on the views on Virgin Islanders.
He continued: “When it comes to our immigration, the Virgin Islanders must have the loudest voice in the room in terms of what we want our Virgin Islands to be. We have become so welcoming and accepting of everybody else’s ways, customs and laws that we are putting away who we are as Virgin islands people to the point where we will soon not recognize who we are. We must preserve our heritage,” Turnbull stated.
At the same time, Turnbull mentioned that there was an era in history, when BVIslanders were among the expats in other Caribbean countries, as they sought better economic conditions to provide for their families.
Because of this, he said he is not against immigrants who have contributed much to the Virgin Islands and have become eligible for residency and belongership.
“I believe the persons that come to live among us have a role to play in developing our territory, while being able to facilitate their growth and development. I don’t believe in treating people less than,” Turnbull added.
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Wolf in sheep clothing.
There are much more important things to worry about but look what this so call pastor is addressing.
Virgin Islanders are too focused on the shiny objects the things that have no lasting value to realize what they are doing its all about here and now. The adage often bantered ” where there is no vision the people perish fits us perfectly.”
DO NOT ISSUE A WORK PERMIT NO MORE THAN 3 TIMES…CASE CLOSED!
You are stealing your kids birthrights when you come to have your kids born in the USA.
Many of the births came with complications that BVI couldn’t handle so before you post you should do some research.
what is the ‘birthright’ of any person born in the BVI. Ease of travel around the earth is the main gift of life in this century. Seems like this man wants to sacrifice international traveling at the expense of protecting some type of undefined birthright.
I am sure that his children were born in the USA
Wonder if Decastro man own get taking back as yet
Does whether one pays one taxes have any relevance?
Do you remember when the policy of demonstrating tax and social security compliance before obtaining any government licence had to be abandoned because so few BVI Islander owned businesses could meet the requirement.
The current system of BVI governance doesn’t seem to have worked too well as we have so little to show for the billions of government revenue paid in since the 1980s. Perhaps if we had a bigger electorate we would have better scrutiny of how government operated, and where public money went?
Birth right is the rights you have in your country of birth, which for many so-called BVIslanders is the USA or Puerto Rico.
So difficult to grasp what this argument is about? BVislanders want to be BVislanders exclusively but hold full UK and US Citizenship. Mich I would suggest you quell that nonsensical mentality.
Variety remains the spice of life. Granting belongership to others does not take anything away from the Virgin Islands or Virgin Islanders. If Americans had to think same then so many US born BVislanders would be stripped of their US Birthright. How would you feel about that?
It’s really simple
Do t give anyone anymore
Put a stop to that
Irma was 2017 think about how many workers came I. Since then
They all looking forward to Belongers
Jus give now those eligible after proper screening
No skipping of interview cause interview is paramount in screening
Change now
Permits should be 5 years per person exit and come again if u wish 12 months later I
I can’t see anyone giving away their birthrights
Your birthrights is where u born and freeness etc to live there
How does granting me a Belongers take that from u ?
Nothing new
Eausa sold his birthright for a pot of stew
Who to blame ?
They are selling it fot:
A good few months of sex from
An outside woman
A thousand dollars for a passport under the table ( few years ago)
A couple hundred thousand for lands
This is much more than a pot of stew
Nobody can stop this tooooo late
More children are born of mixed parents then of indigenous parents again toooo late
We live in a global village where migration will go on this the very end
Toooo late
Choose who will contribute the most to society. The process for 4th generation belongers isn’t easy. Giving out belongers for a non generational blood line isn’t easy at all, unless you marry someone with citizenship. Even then it takes a 5 years. In the USA it takes 3 years to become a citizen if you marry and you have you have to haave residents. So I’d say the process is harder then people are making it seem. Unless people are getting belongers without any generational or marriage connections.
I see so many stupidness in this administration it ain’t funny anymore. How is this birthright sold? Via free market, ten for a dollar on The web, how is it sold?
I can conclude, without a doubt that if the expat unite the BVI native would become afraid, because they have a passion to develop and become included in this community that will help greater contribution and will push many on the sidelines.
For God sake just tell the people don’t come. Train the youth to take up the Tourist jobs of cleaning, barmaids, Plummer,and many more. Just tell them progress not here, he move to north and South America.
Prostitution of our birthright to the enemies of a future,damning the future of our children for votes from the dominant and destructive demographic population.