Govt amends immigration law to reflect belonger's permit

Fri, Feb 27th 2015, 12:31 AM

Amendments to the immigration regulations that would finally put in place regulations for the new resident belonger's permit have been tabled. The document awards a degree of status to those who have a right to apply for Bahamian citizenship while their application is pending.

The tabled Immigration General Amendment Regulations, 2015 stipulate that the belonger's permits -- should the proposed regulations pass -- will contain a digital photograph of the holder, permit the holder to reside and engage in gainful occupation in The Bahamas, and contain the biometric fingerprints and national insurance number, if any, of the holder. The permits will be valid for a period of up to three years.

Application for the grant of a resident belonger's permit must be accompanied by the prescribed processing fee of $100 and two prints of a recent full face photograph of the applicant. The amendment bill notes that the permit does not affect the right of a grantee of a resident belonger's permit to apply for registration as a citizen of The Bahamas.

Persons eligible for a resident belonger's permit include: a person born in The Bahamas to non-Bahamian parents who is entitled to apply for registration as a citizen of The Bahamas and is living permanently in The Bahamas; a person born outside of The Bahamas to a Bahamian mother who is married to a non-Bahamian father; or those born outside of The Bahamas to a Bahamian father who is married to a non-Bahamian mother.

The accompanying Immigration (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations point out that the application for the resident belonger's permit for all three categories requires an initial $25 fee and a processing fee of $100. The fee amendments also state that the residence permit fee for a person who has held work permits for 20 years, or for parents who are dependents of persons lawfully in The Bahamas, is $250.

Applicants must submit a host of documents including certified copies of their parents' birth certificates, documentary evidence of their parents' immigration status, a certified copy of a marriage certificate, and copy of parents' passports, and other relevant documents.

The government launched an expanded immigration policy in November 2014 that requires all non-Bahamians living in the country to have a passport with proof of their status to live and work in The Bahamas. The legislation tabled on Wednesday also establishes a legal framework for the Carmichael Road Detention Centre. The move was well-received by the Grand Bahama Human Rights Association (GBHRA), that had sharply criticized the government in recent months for acting on policy alone.

"We also look forward to the tabling of additional bills covering all other aspects of the government's new immigration policy, in particular what at present remains illegal detention and deportation exercises. We take this opportunity to once again urge the government to stay its hand in this regard, until the actions of Immigration officers can be brought within the confines of the law.

"In the meantime though, we wish for the record, to commend the Christie Administration for bringing this matter before the people's elected representatives, where it can be examined and debated in full transparency, in accordance with proper procedure in a parliamentary democracy," said GBHRA President Fred Smith in a statement issued yesterday.

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