Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025

BVI governor invities British navy to secure borders, overrides premier

BVI governor invities British navy to secure borders, overrides premier

The governor of the British Virgin Islands, Augustus Jaspert has invited the British Royal Navy vessel HMS Medway to help secure the borders of the territory.
“As your governor, it is my constitutional responsibility to protect the people of BVI and ensure the security of these islands,” Governor Jaspert said in a statement on Friday.

The governor made the decision as Section 81 of the BVI's constitution gives him the power to make decisions without the approval of the House of Assembly, once it's deemed urgent.

“HMS Medway will shortly return to our waters to offer additional support with surveillance and act as a deterrent.”

HMS Medway is designed for counter-piracy, anti-smuggling, fishery protection, and border patrol.

The vessel will stay in the territory until the end of October and work alongside the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force and other members of the local Joint Task Force to support patrols and temporary radar arrangements in place.

The governor made it clear that the naval support will be fully funded by the UK Government. He assured the BVI that, “the crew will not come on to land and will not meet Joint Task Force officers face-to-face in order to avoid any risks of transmitting the virus.”

According to Jaspert, he decided to invite UK assistance because border security is now more imminent than ever.

He added that he has remained in close contact with the National Security Council and the Joint Task Force who are finding it challenging to secure the borders with the limited resources they have.

“In March, we took decisive action to close the borders in response to COVID-19 and set up the Joint Task Force—made up of officers from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, the Immigration Department, and Her Majesty's Customs. Officers have worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with limited resources and under intense pressure,” the governor said.

He continued by explaining that as the BVI relaxes internal restrictions, it needs “to ensure we are not hampering the progress we make by letting COVID-19 slip in illegally through the back door”.

In August, Governor Jaspert informed the territory that when COVID-19 started to spread in the BVI, he offered to invite the UK to help bolster the territory's border security.

However, Premier Fahie refused, saying accepting military assistance from the United Kingdom will be a last resort for the BVI.

In his statement the governor said he was disappointed that the offer was refused.


“I was disappointed that the offer of security support was not accepted at the time, as I felt it was a missed opportunity to enhance our local capability and protect our community from external risks. I have continually pressed this as a priority with colleagues. Now, in light of recent events and subsequent consequences, I feel I must do all in my power to protect the people of the British Virgin Islands and to support our dedicated law enforcement teams,” the governor said at the time.

Concering illegal smuggling, the governor said his office is currently preparing another offer of UK support to assist the territory.

“I know that people want BVI to be able to take care of its own affairs as much as possible. I understand and fully support this. Therefore, I am working to develop a package of support that will enhance our local capabilities and put in place more permanent surveillance systems to improve security and curb illegal smuggling. I will withhold from disclosing the full details, out of respect for National Security Council members, until plans are discussed and agreed.”

“What I will say for now, is that we need to send a clear message to those involved in illegal activities and smuggling across our borders that it will not be tolerated. For every illegal landing on our shore, the risk of COVID-19 re-infecting our community returns. As long as our borders are porous, lives are in danger. I am not prepared to take that risk. Only those who benefit from illegal entries and illegal activities stand to gain from porous borders.”

When Premier Fahie refused the governor's offer of UK assistance earlier this year, he had said that he not want to make the same error as other territories or countries by signing off on a decision disguised as an act of assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
×