Citizenship matters!
Dear Editor,
Popular RJR94 FM morning show co-host François St Juste, in one of his pointed comments, asked if it was necessary for Jamaicans to register at overseas consulates/ embassies while pursuing activities that require temporary or permanent abode. To which I would give a resounding, “Yes!”
We have read headlines such as, ‘Trapped on high seas — longing for home, Jamaican ship workers split on being stuck in cabin’ (The Gleaner, April 6, 2020); ‘Jamaica students stranded in Barbados make another appeal to Government’
(Barbados Today, April 26, 2020), ‘Gov’t not doing enough to help us — Jamaicans stranded in Barbados’
(The Gleaner, May 13, 2020); and ‘Jamaicans in Britain in Limbo’
(The Gleaner, March 29, 2021) within the past two years due to the closure of borders as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Each headline heralded a resurgence of debates about the importance of citizenship.
We can recall the dreaded Shiprider Agreement that resulted in the abuse of Jamaicans, triggering headlines like ‘Politicians angry over US treatment of Jamaican fishermen’ (New York Amsterdam News, January 21, 2021), and the uproar of our citizens that led the Government to review and ensure that the rights of Jamaicans were recognised in its renewed agreement with the United States of America. Yet, despite these incidents, there seems to be an absence of a general policy on citizenship to prevent confusion in times of crises.
The current war between Russia and Ukraine that has affected Jamaican citizens seems to have stirred controversies, beginning with the appearance of the Government to be reactive rather than proactive.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, citizenship refers to the “relationship between an individual and a State to which the individual owes allegiance and, in turn, is entitled to its protection. Citizenship implies the status of freedom with accompanying responsibilities”.
As one who studied at Codrington College (The University of the West Indies [UWI], Cave Hill) in Barbados, registering with the Jamaican honorary consul helped me to socialise with members of the Jamaican community. They contributed to my basic needs as a student living in a foreign country, and funded the opportunity for me to represent Jamaica in Belize on a mission with the Youth Department of the Anglican Diocese of Barbados.
Thirteen days before my graduation from The UWI, my father died, and it was the gift of a return airline ticket by the then honorary consul, the late Elias Azan, which enabled me to attend my father’s funeral 10 days after his death and my own graduation three days later.
This type of support engendered pride as I knew that the Jamaican Government was abreast of my academic progress and invested in my personal well-being.