The hopes of hundreds of long-term residents of the British Virgin Islands were dashed yesterday when the government halted the implementation of its immigration regularisation policy indefinitely
Premier Andrew Fahie has postponed the government’s programme to regularise select expatriates, with immediate effect following growing outcry by locals and after meeting with the Virgin Gorda community on the matter on Thursday night. Premier Fahie noted that in coming to this decision he had taken the views of the people of the Virgin Islands into account and the government would reshape its agenda accordingly.
Applicants, including those who have already submitted their documentation to be processed, are asked to await further instructions while other eligible persons have been advised to complete the preparation of all necessary documents.
The British Virgin Islands government had recently launched the Clear Path to Regularisation: Residency and Belonger Status Programme initiative and its indefinite postponement comes days after Premier Fahie’s ruling Virgin Islands Party suspended the second and third readings of a bill intended to amend the Immigration and Passport Act (Cap 130) in the House of Assembly. The changes to the legislation would have been critical to facilitating the regularisation.
A group of concerned citizens had launched an online petition and staged protests in recent days in an attempt to persuade legislators not to vote in favour of the amendments.
