Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

Expat mother reunited with 6-month old baby in BVI. Minister says policy review is being considered

Expat mother reunited with 6-month old baby in BVI. Minister says policy review is being considered

The expatriate woman who upon exiting the BVI recently was forced to leave her 6-month old baby behind, has since been reunited with the child.

The woman’s departure was prompted by the Immigration department’s policy that mandates that expatriates to leave the territory when transitioning between work permits.

However, in light of the circumstances, considerate officials at the Immigration department were able to facilitate a quick re-entry process that saw the woman reuniting with her baby.

The recent incident was brought to light by host of “Honestly Speaking” Mr Claude O. Skelton Cline who openly called on indigenous Virgin Islanders to treat the expatriate community better.


“Here’s this woman she is leaving the country, she has a six-month-old baby, gets to the airport and then they tell her the baby can’t leave, but she has to go. I mean, can you imagine that? A six-month-old baby! “You mean to tell me there is no discretion? There is no occasion for us to extend some kindness, some courtesy, and assist people? The woman then had to leave the baby, go out the country and then having a heck of a time getting back in because things aren’t being done.”

“This whole matter of having persons leaving the country needs to be suspended. That is a policy it is not the law; it’s a policy, and I’m calling on Minister Hon. Wheatley and the head of Immigration … some direction needs to be given. We as indigenous Virgin Islanders, those of us who are deemed to belong, I want to warn us, I want to caution us about the way we are treating people amongst us, the clergyman added.

POLICY REVIEW BEING CONSIDERED SAYS IMMIGRATION MINISTER


In an invited comment by our newsroom, Skelton Cline reiterated the need for reform.

“The policy should be at the very least, placed on hold, given the current context and challenges that people are having financially and with mobility due to some countries being closed or under tight visiting protocols due to this pandemic.”

Skelton Cline also stated that the Chief Immigration Officer has discretionary power which should be applied to cases like these.

Since the airing of this story which attracted much public contention, our newsroom, in speaking to the Minister of Immigration, Labor and Natural Resources, Honorable Vincent Wheatley, was able to confirm that review of the current policy to have expats exit between permits is under review.

Hon. Vincent Wheatley

“We are considering changing this policy and have been for some time now. This policy cannot be dealt with in isolation, it was put in place for particular reasons.”

When questioned on the recent incident, the Minister revealed that he was not aware of the issue.

SAME SCRIPT DIFFERENT CAST- PREMIER FAHIE REFLECTS ON A SIMILAR INCIDENT WHERE THE LATE OMAR HODGE FOUGHT FOR FAIRNESS


Just recently at the opening ceremony for the Omar Wallace Hodge Fisherman’s Wharf and Park, Premier of the Virgin Islands, Honorable Andrew A. Fahie recounted a story that spoke to the character and compassion of the late Omar Hodge, a story that much resembles the recent incident.

Premier Andrew A. Fahie


“I remember one time with Honorable Hodge… He came and said drive with me. Next thing I know we were at the airport. There was a lady being deported. She was here for 21 years and she got a baby but she didn’t have her paper work, in terms of being fully regularized. But the baby was born here and they (immigration) decided that they were going to deport her still but the baby can’t go.

Omar went and he didn’t argue with them. He took up the baby, told me to hold the cradle and say let’s go. I said where we going, he said just keep driving. We reached by the Administration complex and he said take out the child and let’s go. We went up to the then Chief Minister’s office. When we reach to the office he said tell the Chief Minister, which was R.T. O’Neal, Omar Wallace Hodge is here to see him. We waited a while, and he didn’t come out, he sent his secretary to find out what it is since he’s busy. Omar said to tell him he wants the lady not to be deported. Reverse it!

Ralph send out to tell him, there’s nothing we could do. Omar said no problem. He said put the child down on the secretary desk. He turned and told the secretary, tell the Chief Minister don’t worry. Since his mother is going and she wasn’t properly dealt with, he (Chief Minister) and his wife could raise the child until the mother gets back.

I was there in amazement and he yell out and tell me boy let’s go. And we left the child there. But when we got to the elevator I remember the secretary running coming. And she said come, come, the chief minister said he called the airport. The lady aint going again and come for this child, the child needs changing too.

We took up the child and was able to carry the child to the mother”

The BVI is home to over 100 nationalities, with expatriates making up the majority of the population.

As the push for immigration reform continues, many are of the opinion that policies such as this, that requires a resident to leave the territory while a new permit is being processed, should be reformed in a manner that is more amicable for all residents in the territory.

NB: Stock picture used of mother and child to protect identity

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×