The Editor
The Anguillian
Where has common sense gone?
As a native born Anguillian, I find it imperative to write this letter to the Editor in order to bring to the public forum how difficult their lives can become because of wrongheaded and misdirected laws.These laws and their interpretation (or misinterpretation) by bureaucrats can cause one to believe that one’s citizenship and nationalism are under threat.
This letter will outline the difficulty my husband and I experienced because of these laws and or the interpretation of the laws by the bureaucrats, when we recently purchased a home here in our native land, Anguilla.
I will start by giving a brief biography and history of our lineage with Anguilla.
My husband Steven Franklin and I are nationals of Anguilla born in Anguilla to legitimately married Anguillian parents. We were raised here and attended elementary and secondary school.I am the first of nine children and Steven is the fourth of ten. At the age of sixteen I wrote a poem called “Anguilla is my native land and there is none so dear.” It was republished some five years ago by Mr. Colville Petty. I was not aware it was in the archives.
I started nursing under the mentorship of Nurse Miriam Gumbs, and later started teaching at the Valley Boys School where Steven was also a teacher. We are still referred to as Teacher Steven and Teacher Cherrille.
In 1968 we left Anguilla, along with seven other Anguillians, to attend the College of the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas. We all excelled academically. Steven went to Canada in 1969 where he achieved a degree in Civil Engineering and held senior level positions with governments after he graduated from university. I continued to nurse in St. Thomas. He returned in 1971 when we were married at the Bethel Methodist Church in South Hill, Anguilla, and I later followed him to Canada in 1973.
In order to obtain Canadian status we had to first present our birth certificates and complete other documents. We became Canadian citizens in 1975. We were allowed to have dual citizenship. We raised four successful children while continuing to work.
We own our homes in Canada.We own land in Anguilla individually from our parents and also bought a piece of land jointly five years ago. At that time we were never asked for proof of Belonger status.
Steven recently retired as the Deputy Chief Building Official for the City of Toronto, a city of over 2.6 million residents. We would now like to spend more time in Anguilla as we transitionto living here on a more permanent basis so we recently bought a beautiful home (in Anguilla).
I listened attentively to the Anguilla Day speeches and was very impressed with the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Evans McNiel Rogers, who was right on target when he spoke about the negative treatment the diaspora receives when returning to Anguilla.
On May 27th the realtor proceeded to register our property at Lands and Survey. He was informed that we needed proof of Belonger status. My husband and I both have Anguilla passports. Mine was taken out in 2008. We have dual citizenship and choose not to travel internationally with two passports. In the interest of time I picked up my Anguilla birth certificate and proceeded to the Registrar’s Office to get a birth certificate for my husband. It was duly paid for and the Government stamp was affixed to the document. We were both born in the 1940’s.
Imagine our shock and dismay when the realtor e-mailed us to say that he could not pay stamp duties or register the property in our names because the Anguilla birth certificate is not considered as proof of Belonger status.I was distraught and completely at a loss as to what I could do next. The only other document I had here was my Canadian passport which states I was born in Stoney Ground, Anguilla. I called the staff at Lands and Survey and was told that the Canadian passport would be accepted. Since my husband was in St. Thomas visiting his mother before going back to Canada , he was allowed to fax the picture page of his Canadian passport the office of Lands and Survey. What I find ironic is that some 20 years ago I was travelling back to Canada by air and was charged foreign departure tax because my Canadian passport only said I was born in Stoney Ground, Anguilla, but I did not have a birth certificate with the passport. Now 20 years later the Anguilla birth certificate is obsolete as proof of Belonger status. The birth certificate clearly states who our parents were, our mothers’ maiden names, our fathers’ professions and the nurse who was the informant. It also states which book it was extracted from in the registry and the government stamp is affixed to the document. I also received a call from the staff at Lands and Survey asking me what address I would like the property to be registered at. This house was built four years ago. I did not move it from its foundation.On the 31st of May I was again told by an official from Lands and Survey that the birth certificate can definitely not be used as proof of Belonger status.
I should be given back my $20.00 for what appears to be a useless document.
One of my brothersis the former Speaker and present Deputy Speaker in the House of Assembly in Anguilla. My youngest brother is the Permanent Secretary to the Chief Minister. I am the first born and my birthright is being denied. My husband’s siblings are teachers and other professionals here in Anguilla. I will also make note that I served as the Director of Nursing Services in the Health Authority of Anguilla for two years. It is an insult to our forebears who were native Anguillians for generations. We cannot walk around blindly. The revolution means nothing if we lose our birthright.
When were the laws changed and who interprets these laws? I would propose that any change in statutes needs to be exercised in a fair and equitable manner. My understanding is that the law was enacted in 1982 or 1983, and does not apply to Anguillians born before this date. This needs to be brought into thepublic domain for discussion. I believe that an informed electorate is an educated electorate. I am therefore hopeful that in the interest of transparency this law will be clarified or the bureaucrats be schooled on the correct interpretation of the lawfor the benefit of all Anguillians – and to put common sense back where it belongs.
Cherrille Rogers Franklin
With the support of my husband, Steven Franklin.
