BVI : Opposition member and Second District representative Alvin Christopher is concerned that persons who were born in the BVI and have reached the age of 18 cannot get a BVI passport.
Christopher, speaking in the House of Assembly recently, called on Premier Dr. D. Orlando Smith to have talks with the UK government to put measures in place to correct this. Christopher said for the last few months several persons approached him on this issue.
He said: “So many came to me and talk about reaching the age of 18, and these are children who were born in the BVI to parents whose nationality is from outside of the BVI. Even though they may still be living in the BVI and on reaching 18, it is easy for them to get a belongers card because that can be given by government, but in getting a passport is a task that most of them seem don’t seem to be able to overcome, because from all that is said there is a constant shifting in the goal post and it’s never ever clear to them the process of accomplishing that goal.”
Christopher said this issue needs to be addressed now.
“The time has come first to sit seriously with the UK government. I am calling on the premier to take the leading role in this to work out a guideline, some understandable process that these people can reach. You meet them at 21 and 22 and many of them still do not understand how you go about getting a passport in the country in which they were born,” he said.
Christopher told the House it’s a difficult task for these persons to find themselves in such a situation because they are now adults on their own and there is a long waiting time. He said “sometimes they have to go through naturalization and pay a great sum of money to naturalize”.
He said the UK government “should be clear and there should be a clear mandate, a clear understanding on what it takes to get a passport for these people who I consider deprived under the constitution”.
“In my opinion, it does not speak well for us, it does not speak well of anyone when you have to put someone who born in a country through this process. I can understand that reaching the age of 18 when they were still minors but after you become an adult you should be able to get a passport in the country in which you were born. So premier I think we need to take a firm position with the UK government and have this matter clarified; you got my support,” he said.
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