New line-ups for immigration boards and tribunal
(CNS): Cabinet has approved the appointment of numerous new members to the Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board (CSPR), the Business Staffing Plan Board (BSP), and the Immigration Appeals Tribunal (IAT). The processing of PR and status applications, in particular, has been delayed significantly because these boards barely met this year, and then their terms of appointment ran out in September, just as Dwayne Seymour resigned as labour minister.
But with the new UPM government, Seymour has returned to the labour ministry and Cabinet has approved his choices for these critically important boards, who will serve until September 2025. According to a press release, the new appointees “bring a wealth of experience and expertise with their diverse backgrounds and have a deep understanding of the challenges associated with immigration, as well and the opportunities that exist within labour markets”.
Seymour expressed his gratitude to those who have graciously agreed to serve a two-year term. “Your commitment to upholding the Immigration Act is instrumental in ensuring the integrity of our immigration systems,” he told them in the press release. “As stewards of this crucial legislation, you play a pivotal role in shaping the socio-economic landscape of the Cayman Islands.”
The new line-ups are as follows:
The Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board:
- George Anthony (Tony) Powell – Chairperson
- Jacqueline Terry – Deputy Chairperson
- Tresea Brown – Member
- Farrah Miller – Member
- Denise DeMercado – Member
- Buel Rolphie Braggs – Member
- Thelda Whittaker – Member
- Stephen Scott – Member
- Magalyn Velana Robinson-Clarke – Member
- Pamela Myrie – Member
- The Director of WORC or the Director’s designate (non-voting)
- The Head of Work Permits, CS&PRor the Director’s designate (non-voting)
- A Secretary (non-voting)
- An Assistant Secretary (non-voting)
Business Staffing Plan Board:
- Juliette Johnson De Feu – Chairperson
- Orrett Connor – Deputy Chairperson
- Gannon Rutty – Member
- Tavvis Walters – Member
- Pamela Small – Member
- Wilma Wood – Member
- Cora Grant – Member
- Stephanie Webster – Member
- Tamara Rankine – Member
- Sherry-Ann Smith – Member
- Paula Tathum – Member
- The Director of WORC or the Director’s designate (non-voting)
- The Head of Work Permits, CS & PR or the Director’s designate (non-voting)
- A Secretary (non-voting)
- An Assistant Secretary (non-voting)
The Immigration Appeals Tribunal:
- Steve McField – Chairperson
- Glenda Ebanks-Lee – Member
- Joy Vernon – Member
- Sophia Bryan – Member
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Category: Government Administration, Politics
I hope they will clamp down on undesirable aliens: Cubans using the islands to get to the USA; economic refugees; drug traffickers and other criminals. The economy cannot support them.
No professionaly qualified Caymanian wants to be a PEP and so it is hard to find those willing to serve on baords. The solution is to set proper criteria so that civil service can deal…just like how the immigration regime operate is practically all UN member states
So i moved here in 1993.
Now a paper Caymanian.(The proper way)
Two main issues when I arruved.
1) The Dump
2) Immigration
30 years on same sh!t, diffetent year.
A line up is right! Except for a few, this is scary!
and you are still here? why?
It appears that the number of females far outnumber the number of males on the three Boards. Perhaps I am mistaken but if I am correct where is the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion of more male individuals. Can’t believe there are not enough qualified men for these positions
So women are not capable? Is this Mr. Bush writing this comment??? Grow up. Men don’t have to run everything.
Equality is a two way street, sweetheart.
Neither do women. Your comment is nothing more than misandry in its worst form.
Is it too much to ask to be treated in a timely manner, fairly, transparently and in accordance with the law?
You are new here aren’t you. It’s not about applying the law in a timely or fair manner. It’s about following political directives.
Its all about the votes and making sure the elected representatives keep their jobs by blaming the expats for all the island ills, and whipping up divides that don’t need to exist.
10.20 You mean whipping up divides the way you are doing,dont you?
Paper Caymanians now have equal to, or greater than, voting power than generational Caymanians, so I think you may see the ole “blame the expats” theme slowing ever so slightly, but then again perhaps not.
Women are somewhat stronger at admin, so it could just be down to proportion of the applicants that applied to the position. I’m certain these boards are a thankless task, so thanking all of you in advance for your good and impartial service.
Actually, if you check your facts, Mrs Du Feu retired from Dart some time ago and whilst there employed many Caymanians.
great, when do they meet next?
lol. Sure they have learnt from Steve – if you can’t refuse an appeal based on the law, just don’t meet at all so you don’t have to consider it.
So Steve MacField will chair the tribunal hearing appeals from decisions made by the PR and Status Board which he has been chair of for the last 2 years. Sounds fair.
How was this allowed to happen? But any good attorney will have a field day with this. Incompetence at its best.
Not incompetence. Design.
it about time we finally stop this cynical way of identifying our citizens: (paper caymanian or born caymanian) Once an individual is given the Right and all relevant documents are in place they should be accepted in our community. majority of these individuals has contributed to the devemopment of these island and subsequently we have only “ONE CAYMANIAN” we cannot have Two caymanians. this island will never grow and prosper if we continue this division.
Try telling that to many of the politicians who’s best interest that view is most definitely not in.
BOTC’s is the term you are looking for.
Explain to me how you expect a not very successful group of people to claim they’re special otherwise?
To borrow an interesting comparison from a great book;
“Cayman is a lucky country run mainly by second rate people who share its luck. It lives on other people’s ideas, and, although its ordinary people are adaptable, most of its leaders (in all fields) so lack curiosity about the events that surround them that they are often taken by surprise”
Why hasn’t this “Luck” spread to other BOTC’s and other small island states for that matter ? It can’t be exclusive to the Cayman Islands…
Our luck came from Bahamas and others…
https://scholarship.law.tamu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1022&context=facscholar
Caymanians quickly realised their comparative advantage lay with providing a stable legal environment. As a result, they retained many links to the United Kingdom, including allowing appeals to the Privy Council from Caymanian courts. Doing this at a time when many other Caribbean countries were becoming independent, Caymanians understood that the fiscal independence resulting from their economic success gave them greater autonomy than becoming independent but remaining dependent economically would have. Moreover, Cayman welcomed lawyers and other professionals from outside, building a professional services sector with close ties to the financial and legal communities in Britain, Canada and the United States. As one Caymanian put it, “The advantage of being an island is that you get to choose your own neighbours. We’ve chosen Miami instead of Jamaica”.
When they start to respect our culture and stop trying to change it to the one they left behind we will stop calling them paper caymanians (the lowercase C was deliberate)
We are indeed blessed to have an intellectual collosus like DurWayne in charge. If I believed in god, I would say god help us.
Chris Saunders gave a great speech about “Bad Mind” at first I laughed but the more I read and listened I hate to admit it is 200% true.
Was he talking about himself?
Usual number of paper Caymanians I see.
Jamaica here we come.
Jamaica soon come. Get it right. lol.
Paper Caymanians? Have you seen any indigenous Caymanians. Everyone is a paper Caymanian. This island was settled by foreigners unless you count the animals that were here before anyone came. Born here or got status it makes no difference anymore. Blame your government for that. Permanent residency and later on status are for sale to the highest bidder.
Any professionally qualified paper Caymanian with education will not be considered, because they will pose a threat to the “Caribbeanisation” ambitions of Saunders, Kenny, Mac, Seymour and Jay, who will rely on the hand picked boards to
protect them from those who would never vote for them.
Sad for Cayman.
“bring a wealth of experience and expertise with their diverse backgrounds and have a deep understanding of the challenges associated with immigration, as well and the opportunities that exist within labour markets”. Ok, but the real question is does DuWayne The Brain have any of the above. 🤔🤔🤔
caymanians can talk tough on immigration all they want…bottom line is they need expats here to run the place and they have not got a hope in hell pf preventing well qualified expats here from getting PR
After all these years… try us “need expats to run the place” maybe you don’t study history. We need another expat like we need a hole in the head.
Want to explain where you are going to find the thousands of lawyers and accountants to run the financial services industry from within the ranks of born Caymanians? Or where you are going to replace over 25000 WP holders from? Simple maths bobo.
If “ex pats” are Jamaicans, I agree 12.11…
12.11 , noted.
And there my friends, for the sake of avoidance of doubt, you have the real intent of these boards spelt out for you .
Poor thing, he looks so confused in that picture (and every other picture).
Gazing into the moonlight! Minister of Lunar Arousal!!!
Chris Saunders gave a great speech about “Bad Mind” at first I laughed but the more I read and listened I hate to admit it is 200% true.
And thank you Honorable Seymour, you are a pillar of success.
Stacked positions again! The conflicts could not be any more blatant and stupid pointing to the ring leaders on the various boards.
Cayman Status & PR Board Chair – from Seymour’s constituency
Business Staffing Plan Board Chair – Chief of HR at Dart
Immigration Appeals Tribunal – RU Kidding Me? I guess Nick Joseph too controversial and too smart for you Duh Wayne?
What a mess, goes from bad to worse SMH off!
We should just give Dart the keys to the country, let him flatten it and put up 50 storey building. Government (and I mean all governments) should be held to account for what they have allowed that parasitic organization to do to this country.
Former Chief of HR, a few years ago now mind you but don’t let facts get in the way of a good rant.
Old faithful employees in obvious key board/commission positions still bare allegiance? No, there’s no impartiality. Don’t you find it odd how many of these old Dartanians get appointed to influencing positions? Coincidence, many think not and to think they might be well rewarded for their favorable decisions, no that just can’t happen either can it?
Given that they are the largest employer of Caymanians outside of the Welfare Service, I don’t find it in the least bit surprising that some of their former employees are appointed to influential boards. You choose to ignore of course her lineage and integrity, let me help. Here’s a little snippet about her parents.
“It begins with his journey as a young child from Jamaica to Cuba where his parents settled in a Caymanian community on the Isle of Pines (now the Isle of Youth) to make a living by farming. Ten years later the family moved to Grand Cayman where, with the help of Caymanian families who had been their neighbours in the Isle of Pines, they settled and made a home.
This was the first time that Vassel and his younger siblings received a formal education and Vassel graduated senior school with distinction within 4 years. On leaving school Vassel went to work with the Cayman Islands Government where he met Rita Hinds, and they were later married and had 7 children.
Rita’s family was among the original settlers of Grand Cayman, hailing mainly from the British Isles, and they were hardworking with strong church and community ties. At that time Cayman’s economy was quite poor and apart from a few government jobs, was largely sustained by the earnings of their men who went to sea and worked with the US Merchant Marine. When most of these jobs became redundant with the advent of containerised cargo, the men returned home where few jobs were to be had.
This was the turning point in the islands’ history, and resulted in Vassel’s efforts to provide jobs by creating a financial industry that would have spinoffs to support families and the country’s essential services.”
With no disrespect or disregard for Ms. De Feu’s family or their heritage it goes without saying the optics are what they are and the opportunity for manipulation exists. Your family’s heritage and integrity are not necessarily what you inherit or display all the time. Conversely should my behaviour be suspect because my family were all murderers?
Which makes it worse becaue now she doesnt have to recuse herself when a decison is related to DART!
Same players!
11 @ 9:56pm. ….same game!!
Dont hate the playa’s…