‘Unlawful’

The Immigration Department was acting as “a law unto itself” by imposing arbitrary requirements on applicants for citizenship, concedes Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson.

Investigations revealed that the department’s requests for certain tax-related documentation, and for males to get a DNA test to prove paternity of children seeking citizenship, ran counter to the provisions of the Constitution and the Status Of Children Reform Act.

An official Immigration Department document seen by the Sunday Sun showed that between 2012 and June 10 this year, there were 6 514 applications for Barbadian citizenship by descent, marriage and registration, with 1 581 still being processed.

What was not indicated was how many were refused as a result of the “illegal” requirements. (SP)

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