Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Oct 20, 2025

Governor overrides Premier, invites British Navy to patrol BVI waters

Governor overrides Premier, invites British Navy to patrol BVI waters

Governor Augustus Jaspert has overridden the Premier to invite the British Royal Naval vessel HMS Medway, to help the local forces secure the territory’s borders.

“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 to the territory on September 25, 2020.

Section 81 of the BVI’s constitution gives the governor reserved powers to make decisions without the approval of the House of Assembly, once it’s deemed urgent.

Governor Jaspert said: “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 BVI 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.”

Matter of urgency


In a statement Friday evening, Governor Jaspert said he decided to invite UK assistance because border security is now more important than ever. He said 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, 7 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”.

Disappointed UK help was refused


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.

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

In his latest statement to the territory, Governor Jaspert 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.

More offers coming


Governor Jaspert said his office is currently preparing another offer of UK support to assist the BVI in curbing illegal smuggling.

“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.”

He continued: “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 he didn’t not want to make the same error as other territories or countries by signing off on a decision disguised as an act of assistance.

“Every time we have been pressured to accept military presence in the territory, we have been required to consider the social, historical and cultural aspects of this decision. And part of that includes our march towards self-reliance and self-determination,” Premier Fahie had said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
×