Encourage VIslanders in diaspora to come home- Caller
The discussion at the time was on the ‘fast track’ Residency and Belonger status Regularisation Programme rolled out by Government for eligible persons living and working in the Territory for 15 years and more.
“Maybe, instead of doing what the Premier [Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1)] wants to do, you should embark on an effort to bring the citizens home. There are lots of tradesmen, especially in St Thomas, that can come home. If you going to help these other people, you should help your own people.”
Offer them land
According to the male caller, Government can entice Virgin Islanders in the diaspora by offering them land. “So the Government should try to bring their own people home to populate the place and use their skills acquired abroad.”
It was the view of the caller that a lot of Virgin Islanders abroad want to come home; however, some of them are “not able” to make that effort since things are not as easy as it used to be in the 60s and 70s, “because everybody is going to America now.”
“People want to come home. Their children want to come and see the place and participate. We can do like Israel. They invited all their citizens home from anywhere in the world. They can come home, participate and use their skills, and I think we can do that, instead of bringing strangers in and giving them those people’s lands. That what’s going to be happening, and I don’t think it is right. I don’t know who advised the Premier on this, he must have advisors, and I don’t know why all the other Members going along.”
Host Doug Wheatley said it was an “interesting suggestion” and noted another commentator recently suggested something similar.
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21 Responses to “Encourage VIslanders in diaspora to come home- Caller”
I am a hard-working BVIslander, who have toiled onward and upward through the night and anyone else who desires to have a fair chance of toiling and making a good life for themselves are welcomed to do so. Let us continue to get along and accomplish the work at hand.
Moreover, migrating to developed countries at a certain point becomes a trap. For example, most people leave home with the intention of returning after a few years. Then life happens. If you have children, the return is delayed until the children graduate from high school or when they graduate from college or when you retire from work. Then you throw in grandchildren, health issues/health care, security, changing landscape, changing population.......etc and you stay where you are for your remaining days. Nonetheless, every effort should be exerted to recruit and retain locals; it is not an insurmountable effort.