OCTOBER 4TH, 2019 – OCTOBER 11TH, 2019
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VOLUME 15 - NO. 39
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CONTROVERSY OVER GRANTING TCI STATUS by Hayden Boyce Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
G
overnor Nigel Dakin has strongly defended the process of granting Turks and Caicos Islands status to more than 100 nonnationals, saying they “not only deserve to be considered but have a lawful right to be considered”. The Governor made his position clear after former premier Michael Misick posted a list of the applicants on social media where there were some hostile, antiforeigner and racist comments. Governor Dakin noted that the Turks and Caicos Islander Status Commission, which is responsible for granting the Status, was established in 2015 (under Governor Nigel Dakin the Progressive National Party government), but was inactive until now. the Leader of the Opposition. “All involved in this “As a new Governor, recognizing in Government recognize the the sensitivity of this issue to Turks and appointment of the Commission is Caicos Islanders, and believing that it’s long overdue. The reason so many for the Islanders alone to make these people now have applications decisions, I actively chose to waive my for Islander status, as allowed right to appoint a Chair if the Premier and through the Ordinance, is because the Leader of the Opposition could agree the Commission has not been on a Chair, which they have and who I appointed. Had the Commission was delighted to appoint,” he stated. been set up there would have been “It is worth saying that I had only a small number of applications no sight of the list of names of those each year; instead there is a seeking Islander status until today; when significant number who not only a leaked list was circulated. The Governor deserve to be considered but have only knows of those who have secured a lawful right to be considered,” a recommendation for Islander status the Governor wrote in response to once the Commission has made their Misick determination; a Commission staffed At a recent meeting Cabinet exclusively by Islanders. The facts stand approved the appointment of former in sharp contrast to the commentary Commissioner of Police Mr. Paul Michael Misick has suggested but his Harvey (Chairman), Mrs. Patrease comments do sit entirely consistently Thomas, Ms. Barbara Hamilton, with the narrative he wishes to portray. As Mr. Don-Hue Gardiner, Mr. Selvyn for the rest of Michael Misick’s comments Hawkins and the Attorney General on my motives and my nature I trust or her representative as members of the public to make their own informed the Turks and Caicos Islander Status decisions. My intention is to be hugely Commission and Mrs. Sakera Cook transparent so they can be,” the Governor as Secretary to the Commission continued. for a period of one year from 30 Governor Dakin said that as September 2019. a member of the Cabinet he stands The Governor said “collectively in support of the establishment informed observers will note that of the Commission and through that the the Commission consists of two policy of now demonstrating that those members nominated by the Premier who fulfill strict criteria for Islander status and two members nominated by have the opportunity to truly belong to
Former Premier Michael Misick the Islands”. He continued: “The decisions will be made by Islanders; the Governor not only has no control over the process, but has deliberately given up his opportunity to influence any aspect of the Commission’s work. I congratulate the leadership of both political parties for finding consensus that this process should proceed.” NEW SYSTEM FOR GRANTING STATUS The new and innovative system of granting status, other than by marriage, to persons who are not native to the Turks & Caicos Islands, was recently announced by the Ministry Immigration, Citizenship, Labour and Employment Services. The Turks and Caicos Islander Status Ordinance 2015, in establishing the Turks and Caicos Islander Status Commission, charged it with the responsibility of, among other things, reviewing applications in order that they might make recommendations to the Governor for the grant of Islander Status. Sections 4(7)(i) and 4(9) guides that the Commission in considering whether an applicant qualifies for recommendation to the Governor, must consider any prescribed evaluation criteria which the Governor is authorized to issue by guidelines for the purpose of evaluating
the merits of an application by awarding to or discounting an applicant’s credit based on his personal and occupational attributes as well as his potential value to the community. The Minister responsible for Immigration Hon. Vaden Delroy Williams, said this new system is timely, given the perceived weaknesses of the present framework for the grants of Islander Status, most notably, the potential for lop-sided increases in the Turks and Caicos Islander population by persons from one country or another outside of the Islands. This, he said, potentially shifting the balance of power radically from what is commonly referred to as the “indigenous” Islanders to the newly arrived immigrant population, in an unacceptably short period of time, and the ability for Government to influence the numbers, skills, qualifications, age, country of origin, and familiarity with the Islands of the newly permanently settled migrant. Applications for the grant of Islander Status “otherwise than by marriage, may be made to the Governor by submitting such applications to the Secretary between only June 1 and September 30 of each year inclusively. Additional details about the Islander Status Commission will be communicated to the public in subsequent press statements.
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