I got the picture shown above from someone who found it funny because it is really a commentary on the election debate between PM Holness and Opposition Leader Mark Golding. I tried to explain to my friend that while in theory someone who was born in Jamaica is a Jamaican, this is not always the case.
If you are born in Jamaica and you have never been registered with the RGD, you could have a problem returning to the island. Why? You do not have anything to show that you are Jamaican. Imagine that you got a bandoolu birth certificate and migrated to the US. This means that your birth was not registered in Jamaica, so you cannot enter the country as a Jamaican.
You can be born and registered as a Jamaican and become a citizen of another country and then renounce your Jamaican citizenship. Some countries do not allow dual citizenship.
You have those who are born here and registered here as citizens, and they terrorize the rest of us daily. These are not real Jamaicans at heart, and I don't regard them as Jamaicans. This is one set I wish I could take the citizenship away from them and lock them away permanently.
I would love to hear from the lawyers who read this article. Please add your comments below.
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Well just like Trump is saying now born in America doesn't mean you are N American
ReplyDeleteTrump is an idiot and have no brain...he knows nothing🤨
DeleteI am happy you have started the discussion this way. I was simple trying to inform and to stimulate a discussion about citizenship, but a few people just saw it as trying to defend someone. It is through the work that I have done over the years, and I know the challenge with some persons who are born in Jamaica and not registered and some who got bandoolu birth certificates, which is why I brought it up. I found the picture to be funny, and I had to use it.
ReplyDeleteWhat does being Jamaican mean now? But philosophical musings aside if being born in Jamaica does not make you a Jamaican how can a piece if paper saying you are 'naturalised' make you a Jamaican?
ReplyDeleteThe piece of paper is documentary evidence. Note that if you are born in Jamaica and you gain citizenship in some countries, you might have to renounce your Jamaican citizenship. It means, therefore, that even if you are born in Jamaica, you are no longer a Jamaican.
DeleteIt was interesting that the PM asked if Golding was really a Jamaican when the Jamaican Constitution allows for British nationals to sit in the Jamaican Parliament. Furthermore Holness never brought any motion to the Parliament to change the Constitution to disqualify dual citizens of Commonwealth countries from sitting in Parliament.
DeleteThis and other matters are discussed but the opposition and the government has come upon a road block and things have stalled with move to change the constitution.
DeleteSo are we going to take away the citizenship from the ones who never left Jamaica., but they are still terrorizing us??
ReplyDeleteI know many expatriates give birth while working here but the child would still be a citizen of the parents county. Our law gives the option to choose but many countries don't.
ReplyDeleteAh, the undertones!
ReplyDeleteWhy has the discussion decended into an argument about whether Mark Golding was born in Jamaica? Was that ever the issue? Mark Golding pivoted the discussion and we all fell for it. Talk about playing fool to catch wise. The concern was never about him being born in Jamaica or not. The gravimen of the argument was his dual citizenship. Why didn't he bring his renunciation document? That is the point. He is Jamaican but he also has British citizenship. Mark Golding has made this conversation about the country of his birth to obfusciate the real issue. Has he renounced his British citizenship or not? He owe it to the Jamaican public to come clean. If he is so vociferous about Jamaica leaving behind all things British and colonial, it shouldn't be a problem for him to renounce. In fact, such move would be in line with his rhetoric. I for one do not want to go back to the situation where someone British is leading us.
ReplyDeleteMark Golding didn't even rebutt or deny the PM's claim that he doesn't even have a house in Jamaica. What does that tell you?
ReplyDeleteIsn’t Matthew Samuda a British citizen by birth. How is it that Mr. Seaga was prime minister and he was born in Boston, his mother was not born in Jamaica?
ReplyDeleteIt is obvious to me from the conflicting responses the hypocrisy, is it that “all animals are equal but some are more equal than some!!
DeleteMr. Seaga couldn't be Prime Minister if he had US citizenship as per our constitution. Mr. Samuda renounced his British citizenship and besides, he's not running for PM.
DeleteWhat a way ooonu gawn like ooonu not interested in politics. I have never seen so much people taking part in this comment area. Ooonu love Maasa Mark boy.
ReplyDelete