Image Text:

PANEL: Immigration judge Bart-Stewart, left, and High Commissioner Aloun Ndombet-Assamba addressed matters of concern at the JN Convention

WITH A large number of unclaimed Jamaican passports at the Jamaican High Commission in London, High Commissioner Aloun Ndombet-Assamba has urged Jamaicans and their descendants in Britain to collect their passport and claim their Jamaican citizenship despite what their status may be in the UK.

The High Commissioner was speaking at the immigration seminar of the Jamaica National Building Society 25th Anniversary Convention at the Kensington Town Hall in London last Saturday (September 8).

Ndombet-Assamba said: “Come and get your passport renewed, don’t continue to have no travel documents as Jamaica will never tell you that you can’t come home, those who have passport at our office should come and collect them or get in touch with the office.

“We can’t share your information with anybody unless you give us permission to do so”, she added, referring to possible fear of their status being reported to the UK Boarder Agency.

“We have passports piling up at the office for many as we have no contact number or address for those persons.”

INTEREST: Visitors stop at one of the exhibition stalls at the JN 25th Convention in Kensington Town Hall

She further added: “If you have children born here they are not necessary British nationals, so get your children sorted, get their Jamaican citizenship confirmed, provide proof of their parents or grandparents; if you travel to Jamaica on a British passport you may only get two weeks stay in the country and then have to apply to get extended stay, to avoid that get you Jamaican passport as you are entitled by law to have dual nationality.”

Ndombet-Assamba said the High Commission will continue to have surgeries in Birmingham, Manchester and other parts of Britain that will be published in The Weekly Gleaner and other media sources to provide convenience in addressing passports and nationality status of Jamaicans and their descendants.

Also at the immigration seminar immigration Judge Cordella Bart-Stewart said that with 50 per cent of unaccompanied children not returning to Jamaica prior to the introduction of the visa requirement to Britain individual need to provide proof of sole responsibility in order to get their children to the UK. She recommended that those applying for their children to gather the evidence which should include letters, photographs itemised phone calls as phone cards can’t be relied on among other requirements.

LISTENING: Audience members attending the immigration forum at the JN convention in London

Immigration lawyer and family mediator Carol Simpson addressed the issue of deportation, said that a deportation order is effective for 10 years but can be revoked if applied for, but there is no guarantee that a new application to enter Britain will be upheld. She further explained that there is a ruling that after three years of being deported an individual can enter Britain if an application is made with compelling reasons. “You will need to have very good reason”, she said.

It was also highlighted that the 14-year rule under which an individual can get British status has been upgraded to 20 years. And with a new appendix in the family migration rule there is no automatic right to family life. Those British nationals who marry individuals with no status do so on the premise that they would be thinking of leaving Britain with their spouses in order to regularise their status under such circumstances. “You will have to show why it’s essential for you to stay”, Simpson added.