Belonger status can be revoked even after 30 years of marriage- O’Flaherty-Maduro
Even if you have been married to a Virgin Islander for over 30 years and have filed for a divorce, the same applies.
This was explained by the Registrar General of the Civil Registry and Passport Office, Mrs Tashi O’Flaherty-Maduro, while testifying before the 2023 House of Assembly‘s Standing Finance Committee (SFC) regarding the 2024 Budget.
A question was posed by the Member for the Eighth District, Hon Marlon A. Penn, who inquired if Mrs O’Flaherty-Maduro could explain if there is a provision through the legislation that allows the Civil Registry and Passport Office (CRPO) to revoke someone's Belonger status.
Person gets Belonger card revoked after 20 years
Hon Penn gave an example and stated that someone who was married to a VIslander, got Belonger status, “lived in the VI for over 30 plus years, married close to 20 years, divorced, have no criminal records, committed no crime, didn't do anything under the immigration status that deems them to not be able to belong anymore.”
The Eighth District Representative stated that the person in question went to renew their Belonger card and was told that they “no longer deemed to belong and the card was taken from them.”
"What gives your office the authority to make a decision like that? Is there anything in law, a policy that gives the CRPO that level of authority?" Hon Penn asked.
The Register General responded that under the 1976 Constitution, Section 2(f) states “is the wife of a person to whom of any of the foregoing paragraphs applies, and is not living apart from such person under a decree or a competent court, or a deed of separation”. When we speak about the foregoing paragraph Section 2(e), it speaks about being a female and marrying a person who is deemed to belong to the Virgin Islands.
A privilege, not a right!
She further explained, “that under the 1976 [constitution], once the person tries to renew their card and they were divorced, then they would have lost the status.” The Registrar General noted that there were amendments in 2000 and 2007; However, both of them state “immediately before the commencement of this constitution deemed to belong to the Virgin Islands under the VI Constitution, 1976.”
Therefore, the law stands and she stated that “these persons would be referred to immigration so that they can obtain the card through that process and those are usually fast-tracked.”
Mrs O’Flaherty-Maduro suggested that under the current Constitutional Review, that particular matter can be addressed so that persons of this group can no longer be disenfranchised.
It is unclear if this matter was addressed in the proposed Constitutional Review report.
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86 Responses to “Belonger status can be revoked even after 30 years of marriage- O’Flaherty-Maduro”
Countries that grant citizenship through jus sanguinis (the bloodline), Italy, Ireland, Philippines, Israel, India, France, Australia, Hungary, UK, Argentina, South Africa, and Turkey.
The UK’s most notable change for automatic acquisition by birth in the UK was to move away from a jus soli (birth on soil) approach. Instead, at the time of a birth, at least one parent needs to be British themselves or settled here. British Nationality Act 1981 came into force on 1 January 1983 and introduced British citizenship into UK nationality law.
Under the 14th Amendment's Naturalization Clause and the Supreme Court case of United States v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 US. 649, anyone born on U.S. soil and subject to its jurisdiction is a natural born citizen, regardless of parental citizenship.
HOW MIGHTY AND POWERFUL YOU ARE , FACEBOOK WOULD BE A GREAT PLATFORM TO DISPLAY AND EXPRESS
YOURSELF - MORE POWER TO YOU ????
You all just come need to do your homework before you post fart.
Man or Woman (Vice versa) if the marriage no longer works you're basically saying man or woman your time in the VI has been refreshed and you have to start over as year one to build to 15-20 years before you can apply for belongership or even citizenship? Make it make sense! I can understand if its within 5 years but oh my almost 20 years?
We need to do better man!
Take note it's a private. Communication and loyalty is the keys to keep a marriage you are best friends not bad friends. Work it out as best as you can the responsible is on both parties. Say sorry when necessary help each other dont leave the burden on one person share the load. Vent you have to but don't let it escalate. Compromise sometimes, keep the love burning in your marriage you know what he likes and he knows what you like. Turn down the lights sometimes, put on the best music waltz the floor, laugh together cry together stick together. Children sometimes get in the way but you have to take a time out for a chill moment together. See what best works for both of you to enjoy each other. As you age together things may shift health failing and all sorts of stuff but try to cope as best as you can. I'm not here saying life is easy I'm simply saying marriage is hard work but sweet. Don't marry for wealth marry for companionship and there will be no need to get to this point of privilege.
This is unfair
U give the men the rights do this to another human being
May God deal with u all
From another woman’s tears
Some genuinely Marries because they have fallen in love and starting a life/family
The problem lies with the men
They can have the best of everything a man can dream of
Yet not satisfied
And jus cause they marry they think it’s a big advantage and because of certain laws and The Who knows who they can do bad things to others and get away
That being said
I know a few women that are constantly getting stds from their husbands
Emotion financial and physical abuse
When asked to use condoms all
Hell break loose
The men forcing themselves on the women u know what I mean I hate the word
Anyway the list goes on
Those said persons lived here over 20 years and more but applied through marriage as was advised due to many 20 years and over applications jus sitting somewhere
I think certain laws gives these particular men the power to do this
Guess what if any of those women commit suicide u all will be here singing a diff song
If I did know
How could I have assisted yada yada
These are women I know n can speak about what about the ones that are silently suffering ??????
The list goes on
But some of the men /women very well knows the other party ain’t marrying them
For love yet they marry them
Then they get status and leave
They then go back and request a revocation of the status
If a person lives over 20 years and marry how can they marry for status ?
I think those cases should be looked at carefully and things like how long have the persons been in the relationship
The principle of right of soil is applied to varying degrees in 64 countries.
UK Immigration right of soil law…
UK’s most notable change for automatic acquisition by birth in the UK was to move away from a jus soli (birth on soil) approach. Instead, at the time of a birth, at least one parent needs to be British themselves or settled here. British Nationality Act 1981 came into force on 1 January 1983 and introduced British citizenship into UK nationality law.
Before this act came into force, children born in the UK used to acquire UK citizenship jus soli
Currently 12 countries grant citizenship through jus sanguinis (the bloodline), Italy, Ireland, Philippines, Israel, India, France, Australia, Hungary, UK, Argentina, South Africa, and Turkey.
America’s immigration rate of soil law…
Under the 14th Amendment's Naturalization Clause and the Supreme Court case of United States v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 US. 649, anyone born on U.S. soil and subject to its jurisdiction is a natural born citizen, regardless of parental citizenship.
Please BVIs, again the only and I mean ONLY person to advise the Government and it's Department is the Attorney General. Then and only then if anyone is wrong it can be said by whom you were advised by.
Now, my people for a place that the majority is practicing christianity there is toooo much hatred, racism and discrimination.
What makes matters even worse is that these three things are mostly done by those who goes to church every Saturday and Sunday plus goes on the Pulpit and Preach.
How on God's earth in this day can that be fear ethically, Spiritually, legally or lawfully. Tell me.
Tell me in which Island or Country in this modern world where under the same circumstances is this practice.
Anyway, what or however you feel, she is legally wrong. Please follow the law and stop doing things by feelings. We are too Lawless in this place.
The prison is overcrowded with these useless fibancial and social burden.Schools are infiltrated with their weapon carrying soawbs.. Courts are jammed up with them ...but the audacity and talk to question their expiration as Belonger they question. The UK well acquainted with these nonessential from the upper Caribbean will I am hoping,do a rake through to cleanup these VI ,as it did in the UK and return them to their failed Carickm of Independency.
Shameless boldface whose discussion should be oneabout being welcomed and wanted in another land./ be able to reap their rewards from the more than ample natural resources which the Almighty has given them. There is no wealth their countries do not possess but they remain unwanted and unwelcomed purveyors of murder,beggars and a global nuisance.. Making the World a better place instead of mucking it up while gimme gimme your birthright is on your lips is beyond gross.
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Take it or leave it
Why should someone remain married to keep a Belongers status?
How does this person revoke all the years of hard work
Tolerance of BS aka horn
Abuse whatever wrongdoing they may have experienced ?
Would it be fair ?
This can’t be right
I can understand if the individual got it by fraud and or committed a crime
Only the Governor,can revoke belongers status..
Guess what?, this has been my life being married to a BVI man. So what are telling me now, that because I have finally gathered enough sense and strength to leave I should not leave, because if I do my status will be revoked?
As a woman would you want to spend the rest of your life in that relationship? Would you like it for your daughters? And after putting up with all that, would you like for your status to be revoked???? Tell me my sister.
While being away in my ill state I’ve thought about the whole situation and my life in general and I’ve come to the conclusion that divorcing him is the best option, “that’s the beginning of correcting my foolish mistake.” I’ve requested it and he claimed his lawyer stated there’s no ground for filing or granting a divorce and I truly believe his lawyer said that, because he did not speak the truth. I asked him if he had spoken the truth and he replied stating that, if he should do that it would be telling on himself and he is not going to do that.
Now yual have come with this nonsense, what happen, expat women aren’t human beings? I know that many claim that expats have wrecked lives/relationships, that may be true, but it’s not only expats that are doing that.
I’ve learned throughout the years that a woman cannot take a man from another woman and it’s not the outside woman that wrecks the relationship, “because she is already on the outside.” Only those within can cause true division, the mindset/mentality of a man.
Non of us is perfect, please allow us the expat women to right our wrongs and move on with some sort of peace. Thanks
VI and DR are bloodline. Religion, prejudice and racism or opportunism have no place in law
Leave them with their beautiful Virgin Islands ,nature’s little secret!
I lived in bvi for 18years leave to another country within a year I was resident.
Now I’m a citizen!
Locals don’t own here. It’s a privilege for them to even be given the right to govern themselves though they immensely lack the ability to do so. This is a United Kingdom owned territory, not a Virgin Island owned territory. The British Empire owns it, put that into your underdeveloped brains and try to process it.
Most of the laws here a beyond ridiculous because they were implemented by mentally incompetent individuals. They need changing and persons with the ability to properly develop and run a country need to take over IMMEDIATELY.