Dickson C. Igwe. Photo: VINO/File

Another belief of this writer is that only ancestral citizens and those born in a territory possess freehold rights on land. The rest should own land leasehold, say for 100 years or two generations, before it returns to the national land bank.

It is a horrible anomaly – even criminal- that native Virgin Islanders cannot buy land at an affordable price. However, aliens with wealth can purchase freehold land and pass this on to others who may not even be citizens. The government must address this injustice with some vision.

OK. The silent cry of too many natives in the Virgin Islands against the influx of thousands of migrants over the last three decades is a valid one.

If countries with populations in the hundreds of millions cannot control migration to the point where there is civil strife, then why do these tiny islands in the Atlantic believe we can control the influx of aliens to the extent that these aliens far outnumber the native population?

Offering citizenship based on tenure is the root cause of this conundrum. Instead, as this writer advocates, offer a lifelong residency permit, with equal privileges with citizenship, but subject to revocation by the cabinet or the Governor.

Naturalisation or Citizenship can be revoked only through a very complicated legal process that involves an Act of Parliament. However, for an ancestral native or citizen born within a jurisdiction, revoking national status is simply impossible – unless the land is a tyranny. Once a migrant becomes a citizen, it is permanent for life.

What are the effects of a poor migration policy?

There is an impact on labour where there are complaints that the native youth cannot get jobs because migrants are taking them. That is a very valid assertion indeed.

The excuse that locals are lazy and do not want these jobs is a heap of bull, putting it lightly. An age-old excuse that is essentially racist. It was a tale of old colonial Britain for centuries that blacks are generally lazy. It has its roots in racism.

Employers argue that specific groups are better workers. Asians, for example. That is not valid, and it is very short-sighted. It is cutting off the nose to spite the face.

Train natives in ethics and work skills if there is a limitation in their work ethic.

The whole idea of a Virgin Islands economy and society is that it is for the benefit of Virgin Islands children and youth- our children. We are not building the economy for outsiders to inherit.

I am not saying people should not get the benefits of migrating to where there is a better life.

However, the sole objective of social and economic development is to pass wealth on to future generations of Virgin islanders and Belongers. When this fails, it is dumb policy!