Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith has stressed the need for continuing dialogue between the Virgin Islands and the United States Virgin Islands with regards to issues of Immigration and Customs which affect bands going over to the latter territory to perform. Photo: VINO/File

Dr Smith said that the VI will continue to engage the new Governor Kenneth E. Mapp Government in the USVI on the issues of travelling bands. Photo: VINO/File

Virgin Islands' musicians Eustace 'Boss' Freeman (right) and Martino 'Tino' were disappointed that their bands were denied US visa waivers to travel to St Thomas, USVI to perform for its carnival weekend in April. Photo: VINO/File

He pointed this out during a press conference held on Thursday October 8, 2015. It was in response to a question which pointed out that even though there is the VI/USVI Friendship Day every year, there are still issues arising when VI musicians visit the USVI to perform.

This year the territory will host the 42nd celebration of BVI/USVI Friendship Day on October 24, 2015 at the Queen Elizabeth II Park under the theme ‘The Greater Virgin Islands: The Identity and Ingenuity of Our People.’

In responding to the question, Premier Smith explained that the laws in USVI that affect travellers from the VI may be Federal and therefore would not be as simple to address.

“Part of the difficulties we have with USVI and BVI is that some of the areas of government are governed by the United States Federal Government, like Immigration and Customs for example, whereas here it is local Government,” he said.

“So that is what is causing some of the complications. And so if there are regulations established by the Federal Government, then St Thomas etc. will have to apply to the Federal Government to change those regulations,” he explained.

“But we have been making slow progress and there was a change in Government recently so we have now re-engaged with the new Government in St Thomas to continue working on the matter,” he said.

He added that the people of the VI and USVI share a very special relationship and have social, cultural and economic ties which are stronger than the barriers that separate them.

The Premier further said that through meetings of the Inter-Virgin Islands Council they have been able to reach a number of agreements in areas such as education, energy, law enforcement and the ongoing issue of bands going to USVI to perform.

Frustration & embarrassment

In April, a number of musicians from the Virgin Islands had expressed frustration and embarrassment that the US Virgin Islands border patrol continues to restrict them from travelling to perform in that territory for gain and that the National Democratic Party (NDP) government seemed to be dragging its feet on the issue.

The matter had reached boiling point when musicians who were slated to perform at the St Thomas Carnival on Sunday April 26, 2015 were reportedly suddenly told by the St Thomas Carnival Committee that they could no longer accommodate them since they were not able to get the usual US Visa waiver for their bands to travel to the island to perform.

The local musicians have been deeply upset by this development since they would have invested money into preparation for their various performances in the USVI for carnival weekend.

Popular singer and member of the Hard Core Band, Martino ‘Tino’ Marks, speaking on ZROD 103.7FM with Paul ‘Gadiethz’ Peart on morning April 27, 2015 said he was also invited to perform but after the cancellation he decided to travel on his own to St Thomas just to observe the carnival but was detained for more than an hour by USVI immigration and reportedly told that if he was to even do an interview on the island he would be “locked up”.

Tino spoke of being highly embarrassed by the incident and said he was told by immigration authorities that the issue needed to be straightened out by the two governments of the VI and USVI.

Bands that were reportedly affected included Showtime band, Hard Core band and VIBE.

Mr Eustace 'Boss' Freeman, President of GRATE BVI Music Alliance and one of the lead singers of Showtime band, told Virgin Islands News Online that everything was set for Showtime band to travel until about two days before the event as border patrol was informed of who were slated to come, however, the St Thomas Carnival Committee subsequently informed them that no band from Tortola was being given visa exemptions.

“They basically informed us, don’t even come St Thomas at all,” Mr Freeman had told Virgin Islands News Online.

See link to related story:

http://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/en/news/local-bands-slam-ndp-govt-on-usvi-travel-restriction