Rankin: Over 1000 new apps for residency & belongership made since Jan 2022
The Governor at a press conference attended by just two media entities today, April 6, 2023, said only 20 of the 48 recommendations have been completed to date and the Minister for Overseas Territories Lord Goldsmith is also not pleased with the pace of the implementation of reforms.
Huge backlog of applications
One of the areas the Governor is displeased with is what he said was the delay in the processing of applications for residency and belongership.
“There is a huge backlog of old applications and since the 1st of January last year over one thousand new applications have been made but little if any progress has been made in dealing with them.”
Mr Rankin said he is working with the Premier and his Office and the Deputy Governor’s Office to find a solution.
“This will require a significant amount of time and resources but frankly this should have happened already.”
Governor Rankin reminded that under the Framework Document, the Government made a commitment to prioritise and allocate resources to the agreed reforms.
Audit on ‘Fast Track Programme’ received- Governor
The Governor also said he was pleased to announce he has received the audit on the 2019 Residency and Belongership Fast Track Programme and that he is working through it in consultation with others as appropriate.
“I look forward to its publication in due course.”
The Fast Track Programme was led by former Premier Andrew A. Fahie to help alleviate a backlog of applications that had accumulated over the years.
More than 1500 expats living and working in the VI for more than 20 years were given certificates of Residency and Belonger at a ceremony on December 16, 2019.
More than 1000 of the persons receiving status were from the ‘Fast Track’ Regularisation Programme.
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27 Responses to “Rankin: Over 1000 new apps for residency & belongership made since Jan 2022”
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So they just taking the applications and rest them down like office furniture !
Given the size of the Virgin Islands, the population is too high! As a result, we have an increase in poverty, crime, and a general degradation in all aspects of our society. We have been generous in allowing persons to (unfortunately) live and work for very extended periods of time. It is time to end the friendship!
(It's ok to get angry, governments all over the world including right here in the Caribbean give an 'it's time to leave notice' base on population growth and all the fall outs as a result of.)
A native Virgin Islander to the Nth generation
The UK with all the resources in the world is having problems of its own with immigration especially with thoes migrants coming over from France, 500 illegal migrants came into the UK alone yesterday, the UK government is under pressure to solved the problem, which has seen hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants flooding the system since 2010.
Further they are experiencing huge delays in backlogs of asylum claims, coupled with backlogs for thoes who have genuinely qualify for naturalisation as a British citizen. Citizens are experiencing significant delays in receiving new and renewal of passports as well, the Home Office performance is in a mess at the moment. Therefore I have sympathy for the bvi government, because immigration the world over is a very complex problem in trying to protect the indigenous population.
I am aware both situations are different but the principles are the same, the governor can intervene and maybe request outside help from the UK to assist local government because it seems implementing the recommendations appears to be challenging for the government.
The immigration problem in the bvi is also the making of past and present governments as well, they didn't put appropriate measures in place to control immigration, you have given everyone the right to come and work in the bvi, with the view of becoming citizens after ten years and beyond, you cannot have an open immigration policy for such a small place there must be targets in place. To do what is happening now is to change the dynamics of the bvi which we witnessing presently. Now, why has there been so many applications after the Coi recommendations?
I sadly think, the new government may have to put on another fast track program to reduce the backlogs, if the applicants are qualified. However new legislations must be introduced alongside the programme, coupled with migration targets and written guidances to accompanied the legislation.
This immigration circus cannot continue forever. Past and present governors are also defendants in this saga as well but as usually they sit back and allow the mess to happen and then come through the back door as saviours.
Doing their friends favors if they don’t like you they will hide your application never to get near cabinet
Doesn’t matter how u qualify
This has been ongoing for years now.
Don’t matter who’s in charge this is b/s is not going to stop
Truth be told, the Governor should be out there with his Police Force looking for all the illegal immigrants. When driving the country it is obvious they are boldly walking Main Street and obviously don't have a job to go to. Who is checking this? You see many at 8:00, and at 2:00 they are still there. Can we have visitors as interlopers in our country. As per the world, don't they have to be working or attending college? We are busy trying to get legal belongerships while the illegal persons no one is checking on.
Weed out those that are positive contributors with a positive future outlook and none of their countrymen are housed in Balsum , have them deposit a few hundred grand in our bank as collateral.
The BVI has become an overloaded ton load of shite wobbling and spilling as it creeps along. Stop it now!
The same island ppl parasites assisted after Irma/Maria
Who you feel is a queen ?
U envious fat filth ...
Somebody’s watching /looking out ...