For the past several days, since his address on Anguilla Day, Chief Minister Hubert Hughes has been publicly conveying the impression that a move was afoot by the Governor’s Office to take over responsibility for labour and immigration along – with naturalisation and passports and other identity services.
It has been proposed that these combined services should be housed, along with immigration and labour, at one convenient location –the ALM Building in The Valley – to provide a “one stop shop” for persons seeking assistance.
The Chief Minister, who said he had decided to cancel his attendance at Caribbean Week in New York to deal with the matter, spoke in an interview on the proposed merger with Upbeat Radio on Monday this week. He said in part: “For the Governor, who controls naturalisation and passports to now have a grasp on immigration and labour matters, obviously the people of Anguilla will be the losers. I cannot keep silent and allow this matter where it puts immigration and labour with naturalisation and passports. That is a dangerous omen. Being under one roof is nothing wrong, but they all should not be administered together.”
Mr. Hughes was in fact stating that immigration and labour matters were the responsibility of elected representatives – and, in that case, for him as the Minister.
Governor Harrison issued a release to The Anguillian in which he commented on the matter as follows:
“In December 2011 Executive Council agreed to merge personal ‘identity’ functions to do with passports, elections, residence, naturalisation and belongership in a One Stop Shop in the immigration department (that currently reports to the Chief Minister). The Ministers made this decision as part of an efficiency review.
“The process is in no way designed to concentrate powers in the hands of the Governor’s Office, quite the reverse. It does not affect the constitutional responsibility for these issues. The Chief Minister and his ministerial colleagues can of course, through a further EX Co decision, revisit this matter if they so wish.”
