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Emergency Travel Documents given to Illegal immigrants by mistake?

Some illegal Immigrants try to avoid getting caught by the Immigration Authorities for overstaying, so they try to get Emergency Travel documents to circumvent the system, says report. Photo: VINO/ File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- With so many migrating to the Virgin Islands (VI), all kinds of tricks and lies are attempted in efforts to get rights and status in the Territory by some.

Reports indicate that the Passport Office has observed an increase in the amount of illegal immigrants in the Virgin Islands, who tried to take advantage of the Emergency Travel Document.

The Annual Report submitted by the Civil Registry and Passport Office, which summarises the year 2011, indicated, that in such attempts made by the illegal immigrants, they claimed that their passports were either lost or stolen and that they needed to travel to go back home.

An excerpt from the report stated “We believe this trend arose because those immigrants were trying to avoid getting caught by the Immigration Authorities for overstaying, so they tried to circumvent the system to conceal their exit from the territory.”

In 2011, there were 261 emergency travel documents issued. According to the department, this Figure portrays a 1.13% increase when compared with 231 documents issued in 2010.

The documents were issued to persons who have claimed that their passports were either lost, stolen or expired.

The travel documents submitted to these persons are only valid for a return journey to Commonwealth countries.

The Passport Office serves with responsibility of the issuance of Passports, nationality, Registration, Belonger Status and Visas.

13 Responses to “Emergency Travel Documents given to Illegal immigrants by mistake?”

  • polo (15/07/2012, 09:42) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    well me bouy bvi is stll the promise land
    • rattie (15/07/2012, 11:19) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      tis de place and dem dam island people still bad talking dey lil lil sweet place...suckteeth
  • kenny Rogers (15/07/2012, 09:51) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    But would they not have to show some kind of proof that they had a passport before? Do the BVI not check with their home country first? How can this be?
  • Disinterested (15/07/2012, 10:15) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    It is a simple solution. The Passport Office should collaborate with Immigration Office to confirm their suspicions, for Immigration Office should have a record of came into the territory legally and their current status. Further, did the applicants report the alleged stolen passport to the police? If we seriously want to control immigrants violating their immigration status, there must collaboration cooperation, and coordination among Labour, Passport Office, Customs, Immigration, and RVIPF. In the end the violators may be given travel docs, but they must know that there are serious consequences for violating the Immigration Act and other laws.
  • Movements (15/07/2012, 10:39) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Pure foolishness. All the data is showing is that our government officials taking bribes or giving favours under the table. They can't be this stupid and backward. A check with Immigration, Police and the folks' home country would be simple and solve it all. If their passport is lost they must file a police report. If they're here legally, the Immigration Dept. should have a record. If they're here illegally, they will have no record of them entering therefore no emergency travel document should be issued, they should be just sent out. Looking at it from another view could it be these officials turning a blind eye just to get the people out of the country anyway? I'm sure they have to pay for the emergency doc so maybe they just take their money and let them leave? Who knows....
    • Carli (15/07/2012, 14:26) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Movement, you make a lot of sense. All of those individuals who were issued with emergency travel documents should be son a list and thoroughly searched when they are leaving, and if their initial passports are found they should be put on a stop list to avoid them returning. There must be some way to deal with such illegal acts in such a small place.
    • don q (15/07/2012, 16:39) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Excuse me?
  • john public (15/07/2012, 11:43) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    man ayo just give the people the documents and let them go back home at their own expense...just dont let them back in....if they want to go home, let them go in peace
    • ... (15/07/2012, 21:47) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      People fully well know they are not trying to go home. Tortola is the stepping stone for them to get to the US or Canada. Some of them who were deported from other countries come and stay right here in the BVI. The Government need to stop those deportees from other countries from entering in the BVI if they are not B.V.Islanders. The BVI is where they come to hide until they get caught.
  • Carli (15/07/2012, 14:21) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    If they are here legally, would not the immigration or labour have copies of their passports. Immigration should be storing in a database somewhere every legal immigrant's passport. Only in the BVI could these nonsense happen. They realize that the people in authority are slack so they try all sorts of tricks and get away with the lies. So are you telling me that only the regulated entities in the BVI do compliance - Government departments do not. Wow!! It's indeed a shame
  • faith of our fathers (15/07/2012, 17:32) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    i say send thm all home
  • west side (15/07/2012, 23:03) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    but these immigrants never tell immigration or passport office there real name or that they have children


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