Submission from Correy Forbes, Turks and
Caicos Islands
PROLOGUE
All persons should have the right to a country
that they can call home from the moment they enter the world.
This country should primarily be the country of their birth. They
should have a right to, and unhindered access to all rights of
ordinary citizens of that country.
There is currently an immigration law in the
Turks and Caicos Islands that states that All children born in
the Turks and Caicos Islands must take the nationality of their
mother. These children are systematically denied passport and
other common rights of other children born in this country.
Some of these children's mothers are from countries
that does not automatically render citizenship to persons born
outside of its borders, thus, rendering these children stateless
for at least the first eighteen years of their life. At eighteen
they can opt for full citizenship in this country (for a humiliating
fee).
CASE SCENARIO
Approximately two years ago my wife's son applied
for a passport, it was a very difficult process. His mother was
born in the Bahamas, but he was born in Providenciales. Turks
and Caicos law excludes him from full citizenship in the Turks
and Caicos thus he is not entitled to a passport. The Bahamas
Law is equally as discriminating, because even though his mother
was born in the Bahamas she is not a Bahamian because her mother
was born in the Turks and Caicos Islands. These issues effectively
renders him stateless and excludes him from ever becoming a Bahamian
citizen, except through marriage, financial or political favours.
It took us over a year and some strongly worded
email to the Governor of the Turks and Caicos for a passport to
be issued to him. This is wrong. We taught this boy from a little
child to be a patriotic Turks and Caicos Islander, this is the
only country that he knows and call home. He should not be made
to feel less than any other child born in this country; he should
not have to pay for citizenship in a country in which he was born.
Three of his grandparents were born in Grand Turk the other was
born in Providenciales. In 1970, when his grandmother decided
to give birth to his mother in the Bahamas, the medical facilities
here in the Turks and Caicos Islands was at a minimal standard.
It was common for mothers to lose two and three children at birth.
Sadly, in 1972 when she went to the sole hospital in Grand Turk
to have another baby it cost her her life, at a very young age.
In my conclusion, we are now seeing many countries
who have implemented similar types of discriminatory laws, (Design
to restrict the rights of the children of immigrants) are now
seeing these children growing up with disdain for the country
of their birthplace.
Currently, these children here cannot be turned
down for full citizenship at 18, what is the point in putting
them through 18 years of inferiority? Imagine after a school break
some children talk about their trips abroad while the others have
to be quiet because they are not entitled to a passport to travel?
Give these children full citizenship at birth. This is the least
we can do for them.
2 September 2007
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