Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

No progress! Governor concerned over hundreds of pending Belongership applications

No progress! Governor concerned over hundreds of pending Belongership applications

Governor John Rankin expressed disappointment at the glaring lack of progress in governance reforms over the last few months, particularly in relation to the issuance of residency and Belongership status in the territory.
The sloth in moving this matter forward was among several disappointments the governor alluded to in his latest progress report on governance reforms agreed between the coalition Government of National Unity (GNU) and the United Kingdom (UK).

The governor shared that, although he was encouraged by some of the progress made, including a move towards more open and transparent public procurement, more work was left to be done.

“I am concerned that the overall pace of reform is slower than expected and it is important that the public do not lose confidence. It is essential that together we step up our efforts to achieve these important and urgent reforms; committing resources accordingly,” Governor Rankin said in a statement issued yesterday, February 13.

Key concern

In the meantime, the governor pointed out in his second quarterly review since the start of reforms, that the issue of residency and Belongership was a key concern of the Commission of Inquiry (COI), particularly given the open and unchecked discretion held by Cabinet to make such grants previously.

According to Governor Rankin, in the framework document for implementation of the recommendations of the COI report, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley and his government recommitted to applying a revised policy in line with the law.

The BVI government previously applied a policy which was deemed unlawful by the COI that required 20 years of residency before an application for Belongership could be lodged.

However, in the Framework Document which the GNU agreed to, it was stated that “Cabinet commits to follow existing legislation on residency threshold (minimum of 10 years) pending completion of the review under Recommendation B33”, with a deadline of June 1, 2022.

Over 1,000 applications pending

That deadline has since lapsed by more than six months and Governor Rankin shared statistics that showed that applications for both residency and Belongership have only increased by a great degree since that time.

“According to statistics provided by the Department for Immigration, 1,102 applications for residency and Belongership have been made since 1st June 2022, after the Government of National Unity was established,” the governor said in his review. “From the information available to me, it would however appear that there has been little if any progress in dealing with these applications.”

The governor contrasted this and showed that, at the time of writing his review, there had just been fifty-three prior applications for Belongership and forty-three for residency awaiting Cabinet decision.

Regarding steps he has taken to address the matter, Governor Rankin said he has sought assurance from the government that it will make this issue a priority.

“I have written to the Premier to seek assurance that capacity constraints within the Immigration Department in dealing with residency and Belongership applications will be addressed swiftly in line with the Government’s Framework Document commitment to prioritise and allocate resources as part of its full commitment to reform.”

In the meantime, Governor Rankin noted that a reviewer (Kedrick Malone) has since been identified to “lead a review of the existing policy and processes for granting residency and Belongership status, including the open discretion of Cabinet to grant such statuses and the length of residence required for Belongership, among other things”.

Governor Rankin said he recognised the sensitivities and public interest in this review and said the proposed date for completion has now been shifted to October 2023.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
×