The granting of Caymanian citizenship to hundreds of expatriates has erupted into a national controversy in the Cayman Islands, causing government to abruptly halt the process.

The three-island British colony has been caught up in a citizenship frenzy over the past week as several hundred expatriates flocked to the main police station for certificates of character, and to the government administration building to ensure their eligibility for citizenship.

Following the mad rush for certificates at the police station, government issued a statement saying no requests for the grant of citizenship would be accepted after this past Monday (Sept. 15).

Most applicants were Jamaicans who are presently in the Cayman Islands on work permits, but are seeking long-term security in the country. Some of them would have previously applied for citizenship and/or permanent residence and were declined by the Immigration Board which normally grants citizenship under a strict quota system.

Caymanian citizenship will eventually qualify applicants to acquire British passports, as the country is still a dependency of the United Kingdom.

There are about 16,000 in the Caymans, the second largest segment of the population after native Caymanians. Many have lived in the islands for years, holding mainly low-end, blue-collar jobs that are unattractive to Caymanians.

In the past few months, the Cayman Islands' Cabinet by-passed the Immigration Board and granted citizenship, commonly known in Cayman as "status", to no less than 500 expatriates, including Britons, Americans others from the Caribbean. Reports indicated that citizenship was granted to some people who did not even apply and to others who recently moved to the Caymans.

Leader of Government Business McKeeva Bush explained that the granting of citizenship sought to address the "substantial accumulation" of persons who have been in the islands for many years and to "provide relief" pending new immigration laws.

But the opposition People's Progressive Movement, led by Kurt Tibbetts, has accused the ruling United Democratic Party government of selling Caymanian citizenship for votes and financial support.

Elections are due in November next year and it will be the first time that the country will have a one-man, one-vote system. Mr. Tibbetts said that, in a move to shore-up its support in the next elections, the ruling party had secretly granted citizenship to 2000 expatriates. And said plans are afoot to approve 4000 more by year-end.

Many native Caymanians are peeved about the unprecedented grant of citizenship and have vented their anger on radio talk-shows, accusing the government of selling-out the country.

Comprising Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, the Cayman Islands have a population of approximately 50,000, of which only 55 per cent are Caymanians. Located north of Jamaica and south of Cuba, the islands are the world's fifth largest financial centre after New York, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

There are about 600 banks in the Caymans, including 44 of the world's top 50, with assets on deposit exceeding US$500 billion. The Islands are also home to over 500 captive insurance companies, as well as some 2000 mutual funds, with assets of over US$200 billion.

Posted Wednesday 17 September, 2003