National

Addressing Citizenship The Way Forward, Says U.N. Rep

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The citizenship issue remains a hot button topic as a bill has been drafted to address the ongoing battle.

Published

3 years ago

April 17, 2023

Jameelha Missick

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The citizenship issue remains a hot button topic as a bill has been drafted to address the ongoing battle.

The rapporteur of U.N. Human Rights Committee on Women, Girls Rights Marion Bethel is weighing in as she describes the need to pass the citizenship bill as “long overdue”.

Bethel who is a member of the United Nation’s Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, says passing the bill would be the way forward, but she believes it ought to be a constitutional right.

She explains what the access to Bahamian citizenship would mean for those people.

In the past, there has been two referenda that would have allowed children of Bahamian women who have non-Bahamian fathers to have Bahamian citizenship, to which the electorate overwhelmingly voted against.

And, while Attorney General Ryan Pinder noted there will be no third referendum on citizenship, Bethel says should the idea come up again she hopes the tables will turn.