UPDATE: VI Children should be entitled to all rights & benefits – Julio S. Henry
Henry hosted the debut of a brand new talk show, ‘Open Mic’ on ZROD 103.7FM last evening, July 10, 2013 with the featured guest being Complaints Commissioner, Mr Elton Georges.
He said that any child educated, raised and developed in the Virgin Islands should be entitled to all the rights and benefits of anyone else, regardless of the origin of their parents.
Georges, who has served as Deputy Governor in addition to various posts in government for more than 20 years, was described as having significant insight and information in dealing with the British Nationality Act which emerged during his time in office.
Georges described the Act as complicated and said its introduction raised a number of questions. “Immediately you had the question of what is the status of children born in the BVI after January 1, 1983?” he noted.
He said persons born after this date receive a birth certificate but when they go to the passport office, the status of their parents in the Virgin Islands needed to be checked as this had now become the law.
When asked how he felt dealing with persons in situations where he was required to say “based on the law, I can’t help you”, Georges replied, “It’s always disappointing to disappoint people. It’s not something you like to do, I don’t feel good disappointing people but… it’s your duty, it’s your job. It’s what the law says and you have to apply it.”
According to Henry, the Act served several purposes including reclassification of the United Kingdom (UK) and the colonies’ citizenship. He felt that part of the reasoning behind the Act was a feeling that the UK would be over-run by UK citizens from other territories and added that he believed it was a similar fear and sentiment shared by many Virgin Islanders.
“The BVI will never get to a population where, I believe, you’re going to feel like you’re being over-run by folks from around the world. Kids born in the BVI are BVIslanders, they’re not from St Kitts, they’re not from Antigua… that’s where they’re parents originated from,” Henry said.
See previous story posted July 10, 2013:
UPDATE: Elton Georges confirmed as guest for ‘Open Mic’ debut
- Complaints Commissioner said he feels topic is an important matter
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Talk Show host Julio S. Henry has confirmed that the guest for the first episode of his new talk show, Open Mic, which will be aired this evening, July 10, 2013 will be none other than Complaints Commissioner, Mr Elton Georges.
Henry indicated once more that the topic would be the British Nationality Act, 1981 and added there will also be discussions about the implementation of the Act during Georges’ time in government.
“My angle is to represent that before the Nationality Act, people who were born in the country were entitled to citizenship [and] after the Act that was changed,” Henry said.
The host said he planned to ask his guest whether he felt the Territory should revert to its prior status before the Act.
Mr Georges also confirmed that he was approached to be the guest on the show, “I got a phone call asking if I would come on the show to speak with Mr Henry about [the Act] and perhaps if there is time and people had questions… I agreed because I think it’s an important matter that people want to know about,” Georges said.
He added, “It is my understanding that he’s [Henry] interested in getting out information about the British Nationality Act which applies to the BVI, the British Nationality Act of 1981, so we’re going to look at the provisions of that as it applies to the Territory.”
The show makes its live debut from 8-9 P.M. today, July 10, 2013 on ZROD 103.7FM.
See previous story posted July 9, 2013:
UPDATE: First ‘Open Mic’ to tackle British Nationality Act
-First guest a secret!
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Talk show host Julio S. Henry has opted for suspense in keeping the first guest of his new radio show, Open Mic, a secret. The show makes its live debut from 8-9 P.M. tomorrow, July 10, 2013 on ZROD 103.7FM.
Henry would only disclose that the topic would be centred on the very hot button ‘automatic citizenship’ issue raised recently by Education Minister Hon. Myron V. Walwyn during Territory Day observations on July 1, 2013.
Hon. Walwyn stated: “While we have many different cultures in the BVI, as a Caribbean people we have much more in common than our differences. When I think of the great melting pot that is America, I recognise that their strength comes from the acceptance of their differences and their commitment to making their country great. If a child is born on United States soil, that child immediately becomes an American citizen, with all the rights thereto appertaining. I dare say that this should be the case in every part of the world, including the Virgin Islands.”
According to Mr Henry, the programme will focus on the British Nationality Act, 1981 and the British Overseas Territories Citizenship Act, 2002 and related issues.
Hon. Walwyn had also expressed that the British Nationality Act was divisive and should become a thing of the past.
The special guest has already been confirmed for the show and has been described as being very knowledgeable about the topic after having been in the forefront of related discussions for some time.
The guest is expected to deliver his perspective on the situation and also whether the Territory has any say on the issue.
According to the programme’s Facebook page, Open Mic is an hour-long radio programme aired every Wednesday with an open forum format; it provides an outlet for the community to freely share their concerns, observations, and opinions on various issues in the VI.
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49 Responses to “UPDATE: VI Children should be entitled to all rights & benefits – Julio S. Henry”
she had to go back home to her home land to have that child"what ever happened to that law" i am just doing and inquiry about this particular law,
You have to give it to the Kingdom-ers. These people have been planning since the 8th century how to maintain "Whiteness" in their land while maintaining control and power in lands where massive amounts of non-whites live. The nationality act was one of the major strategic plans to achieve this goal.
While we here may look at the law as being discriminative and biased, Kingdom-ers are very concerned about their population growth and the "color" of the population growth. You see, a citizen of the Virgin Islands(British) is a citizen of the Kingdom and believe you me, they monitor all who are becoming citizens of the Kingdom and their roles if they decide to leave the Virgin Islands(B) and move to the Kingdom.
This is why this law has been so hard to remove. You're not just dealing with the "numbers" of the citizens. You're dealing with the "color" of the citizens and that is what the Kingdom HAS TO CONTROL!
Good luck to our leaders who want to tackle this issue. But it's going to be very hard and I believe that the Kingdom will stand firm in it's decision -which, if I am correct- that the "color" of the citizens is the major, major factor determining all policies with regards to citizenship in the Kingdom.
I really hope no one believe your racist rantings. Sad!
No matter the nonsense you wrote here, which does not deserve anyone's attention for it contains no truth whatsoever, I'm noticing this: through these forums you are exposing yourself as a person deliberately using untruths to spread hate and division in our community.
Why would you do that?
Are you spreading this mumu stuff so that perhaps we believe you and ... I don't know ... chase the white people out?
Or perhaps you are trying to influence us to take other sorts of action against our fellow residents who happen to have white skin? What do you suggest? Maybe just encourage black people to throw a few cuss words at the next white person they see? Or why don't we just follow your whole approach to its logical conclusion and attack white people with more than words? If you are correct that people whose epidermis contains very little melanin are indeed bad humans and they are all trying to enslave those among us with higher melanin content, why don't we just organize some lynchings? Grab some of them - any of them, because they are all evil - and string them up in a tree? Or maybe you'd enjoy mowing them down with an automatic weapon like they did in St. Croix back in the '70s?
Either way, if we follow the direction of your comments on these blogs, that is the logical conclusion. It is impossible to see how your thesis can go any other way. You see, ausar, hate has a way of gaining momentum once people deliberately seed it into a community. And this is what your baseless comments are clearly designed to do.
Why are you a hate-monger? Do you want to be a black people's hero? Who, then, is your inspiration? You are clearly against Martin Luther King. You must think Malcolm X before he died was just a sell-out. Presumably Bob Marley was half evil because he was 1/2 white and treated many whites with love and respect. And yes, the most popular man on the planet, Nelson Mandela is a bad-minded fool who has been working for the evil white race for all these years.
Your divisive and disgusting attitude to the truth, and to your fellow human beings, is a fine example of the shameless, deliberate use of utter bullcr*p to forward a hateful agenda.
It is highly dangerous and I fail to see how it helps us BVIslanders understand or resolve the many complex problems we need to be dealing with in these tough times.
They getting children here just to get passport and then green card. then leave the VI, they should not be able to do this.
“The BVI will never get to a population where, I believe, you’re going to feel like you’re being over-run by folks from around the world. Kids born in the BVI are BVIslanders, they’re not from St Kitts, they’re not from Antigua… that’s where they’re parents originated from,” Henry Opinion.
Who is right who is wrong? Mek Out. Grow your nest where you are, but check out thr trends of migratio into and out of the Virgin Islands.
The U.S citizenship laws is based on the "jus soli", while the British and other European countries are based on "jus sanguinis"
As at 2007, In EU countries such as Belgium, Finland, France, UK, Italy, Netherlands, and Sweden, jus soli regulations is based on second generation upon reaching the age of majority, in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Portugal and the UK, jus soli is based on the second generation upon birth and a few countries including Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, France and Benjamin, the jus soli regulation is based up to the third generation. Jus soli is not a regarded in Austria, Denmark, Greece or Luxembourg.
In the U.S. citizenship may be acquired by (1) Birth in the U.S., (2) Birth abroad if at least one parent is a U.S. Citizen or by (3) Naturalization.
Some years ago, there was a draft amendment to the Immigration Law in the U.S to change to "Jus Soli", but of course, it couldn't get passed in congress.
This is just for the information of the public and not an argument for or against. Everyone might not be aware that this law is not unique to the BVI and it wouldn't be something that can be changed at the press of a button. We are under the U.K and the British Nationality Act, (which I believe is one of the most unfair legislation), but we (as well as the other overseas territories) are bound by it, like it or not.
I read your post with much interest, but I am a bit confused.
In the last sentence in the first paragraph, you said the U.S citizenship laws is based on Jus soii - meaning one's place of birth determines one's citiizenship.
In Paragraph four you are saying that some years ago, there was a draft amendment to the immigration law in the U.S to change to Jus Soli but could not get passed in congress.
So are you saying that even though they did not pass the law is congress for Jus Soli, it is still being used??
Just for clarification sake, I am asking.
HA HA. All the ranting and ravings of foolish noise has not changed ANYTHING!!
NOW TAKE THIS ISSUE UP WITH THE HOUSE OF LORDS, COMMONS, AND THE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT and let's see WHERE it will get y'all!!!!!!!!!
2. This nonsense that UK immigration rules are based on race: You really think the only thing dictating decisions in London is an ancient plan to keep dark skin people out? You never been there, Ausar. IS a complex place with a complex history and many, many different forces affecting it all the time. Sorry, you are not the center of their universe.
3. You don't know that when they making these immigration laws they are afraid of letting in not just too many Africans, West Indians and Asians, but also Polish, Slovenian, Russian and Romanian etc immigrants - all of them white as snow? Is immigration they interested in, not your damn skin color, mumu.
Ausar, until you show intelligence, you will continue to sound like this simple-minded wannabe hero. Real heroes don't spread hate, they learn from reality and a wide range of influences, and then they graduate to wisdom. You a long off from that, so maybe consider hushing yourself until you have something wise to say. We can wait a few years before we hear from you again.
Admittedly, up to several weeks ago, I was not too in tuned with birthright citizenship in the VI. It was not until the MEC pulled the pin from the grenade under this already red hot, sensitive and divisive issue and the resulting explosion that my interest peaked. Consequently, the acrimonious battles in the blogosphere motivated me to probe a bit on this issue. My probing revealed some interesting information.
First, there are two methods or means of acquiring citizenship: Jus Soli (right of soil)---birthright citizenship, and Jus Sanguinis( right of blood)---citizenship by blood lines. Further, Jus Soli is observed in a minority of the world's countries. Of the approximately 194 countries defined by the IMF, ~thirty (30) or ~15% grants automatic birthright citizenship. A sampling of these countries include Canada, USA, Antigua and Barbuda (vacillating), Brazil, Barbados (vacillating), Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Jamaica, Argentina...etc. Moreover, interestingly since 2004, no European country, including the UK, grants unconditional birthright citizenship.
Increasingly, more countries are employing a modified form of Jus Soli, i.e., that is they require at least one parent be a citizen of the country, be a legal permanent resident or that a parent has resided in the country for a specified period of time among other requirements. Countries employing modified Jus Soli include Australia, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, South Africa, UK, Barbados (proposing change), Ireland, Antigua( proposing change), New Zealand...etc. Further some countries are abandoning Jus Soli altogether.
Moreover, in regards to the UK, since January 1983, consistent with the BNA at least one parent must be a British citizen or be a legally "settled" in the UK. This is important in that the VI is not an independent country but an OT under the UK's umbrella. Consequently, the VI under its current union has to adhere to the UK's laws. However, it does not mean that the VI cannot agitate for a change. Thus, far Virgin Islanders have gotten a bad rap for a UK law that the VI has little leverage over. They are being accused of taking cover under the BNA. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the UK is part of the EU and since 2004 no European country grants unconditional automatic birthright citizenship; this is an interesting tidbit. Nonetheless, this is a simmering human rights issue and I'm not averse to agitating for a change.
Another finding of my probing is that citizenship is a privilege, not a right, afforded by a country. Consequently, they can set whatever conditions they desire for persons to qualify for citizenship. The VI needs a serious round table discussion on this obvious divisive issue. The VI is a lone ranger on this issue; it is far from being a minority on the issue. In fact it is among the majority of nations that do not grant unconditional birthright citizenship (85th percentile). Nonetheless, because it is among the majority o of nations (well technically it is not a nation) that currently do not, does not mean that it should not be agitated for. But there is a little hurdle or it may be a big hurdle to clear---BNA. This hurdled cleared, whether the VI remains under the UK umbrella or is independent (I'm not for independence at this juncture) then it should go to a referendum.