Protest planned against immigration changes
(CNS): Although the PPM made it clear on the campaign trail that, if returned to office, a Progressive administration would remove the seven year term limit, known as 'rollover' and reform the immigration policy, the backlash against the decision is mounting. The government, which has been in officer for just four months, is now facing its first demonstration rally. Organisers of a protest march are calling on all Caymanians and those who "love the Cayman Islands", to join the demo scheduled for 10am on Friday 11 October, aginst the extensive and recently published Immigration Amendment bill. Having taken part in a number of rallies themselves while in opposition, it remains to be seen if the march will move the PPM to reconsider the proposed bill and halt its planned presentation to the Legislative Assembly next month.
Organisers said that this was the “final opportunity to save Cayman” and an effort to stop the proposed immigration reform bill, which was published this week and is expected to be debated in the LA later in October and before the expiration of some 1,500 Term Limit Exemption Permits.
“We will gather at the Government Administration Building on Elgin Avenue at 10am and proceed to the Legislative Assembly Building,” protesters stated in an email circulated Thursday.
The government's decision to eliminate rollover and allow all of those who live in Cayman for eight years to apply for permanent residency, switching the decision of who gets to stay in Cayman from employers back to government, is being strongly opposed by a number of Caymanians who see it as a further stumbling block to local workers' ability to advance in the local economy.
With more than 2,000 Caymanians unemployed and many blocked from advancing in the jobs they currently hold, the prospect of more expats being allowed to stay for longer has increased concerns significantly about future local employment.
It is understood that not all of the members of government are in support of the reform, which is being spearheaded by Premier Alden McLaughlin. Questions submitted by CNS to government concerning the alleged Cabinet and government bench split on the issue have so far been ignored. During his time as leader of the opposition, McLaughlin had criticised the previous leader McKeeva Bush for not listening to the concerns of the people and ploughing ahead with unpopular policies.
See bill below.
Category: Politics
So, people are calling up unemployed Caymanians according to the great Ezzard Miller initiative to get Caymanians to work, are we going to get details of what these calls found? When I tried this a few years back, I got people with very dubious qualifications and in one case someone with good O level passes but with a serious mental problem.
They should tax who ever is granted residency anually for as long as they stay so we still don’t lose
Be carefull what you ask for, once an infrastuture for direct taxation is put in place it will cost everyone…
I DO NOT AGREE WITH YOUR Poster 27/09/2013 8:48
"I guess so you can continue to exploit them, not pay pension and health care. That is the REAL reason why so many employers (including Caymanian employers) are desperate for the extension".
The reality is, we could employ locals and cut the locals hours. Once we do that then we avoid all the above which you have described and still look good to the Immigration Department. However, we are not here to exploit or trick anyone or any government department. I know, that there are many of us who would love to employ locals and that we DO TREAT them good. But, we have to face it. Most locals have a serious attitude problem. 1. Bad manners 2. Punctuality 3. Appearance 4. Cell phones on the job 5. Posting negative comments on Face book 6. Takes off from work whenever individual is having a birthday.. and the list goes on. I am longing to see ALL of us get our shit together and work together. I am looking forward to the day where Caymanians feel wanted and secured in his job along with the ex-pats. I am also longing to see ex-pats reach out to the Caymanians so that the hostility can be removed, Can we now extend a handshake to the Caymanians and a handshake to the ex-pats? Can we now MARCH for unity? Can the ex-pats join the MARCH and ask to hold a Caymanian hand and march together? what a wonderful and lovely MARCH that would be. This would surely bring some peace to the islands and a positive spin on this March. I bade you peace but I ask, ex-pat employers and Caymanian employers, extend a hand and a place in your employment both to our locals and to our ex-pats. It is very hard to go to bed every night without a cup of tea. Let us help each other.
Alden, the new Mac!!! Whatt a mess we in!!
I going to go down to the march to see if I can recruit a few good Caymanians to work in my warehouse.
good luck with that.
Damn, when are we going to rollover these useless leaders of ours..
AND the members of the nation building boondoggle. I say give em 2 weeks to pack their bags and get out!
We did a pretty good job of that last elections.
I am very ambivalent about this, as there are really two distinct factors.
My kid came back from university this summer and after a few days of "hanging out" we told him he had to get up the next morning and drop off CV's. By 5:00 PM he had two offers and started work the next day. He dressed appropriately (and differently from leisure time), speaks well, reads and writes well, and has math and computer skills.
On the other hand, I also know Caymanians who are truly interested in obtaining employment, but either have a lack of skills or are simply being discriminated against. Sometimes this is due to their previous work history, or based on their "accent", clothes, etc.
Obviously, there are also some people who are simply "unemployable" due to intellectual disabilities, mental health problems, substance abuse, etc.
In short, I don't see a simple solution to this issue. But, for the sake of the country, we need to focus on maintaiinng and developing "middle-class" jobs and not just entry level, minimum pay employment.
Based on my spelling, it is amazing that I am employed :>)
Are you a paper Caymaninan? Would explain the quick turnaround..
Short answer – NO.
Long Answer:
I am saddened that that was what you took out of and was the only aspect of my post you focused on. Even if I was , what would that make my kid? 2nd generation? What is your imaginary generational necessity to be a "born and bred" Caymanian, so that this would not concern you?
The post was, about what I believe, significantly more important issues, regarding the future of Cayman.
multiple murders occurred where caymanians killed each other over a short space of time. result – no marches.
A spate of armed robberies banks, businesses, etc were occurring on a weekly basis by local criminals. Again, someone else's problem.
The coffers were squandered, wasted by corruption, theft and inefficiency leaving the UK to deny any further loans. Again, nobody marched.
Those that couldn't have voted them in carried on with their jobs and gently shook their heads.
The biggest mountain on the island is the ever growing trash heap, leaching into the sea and stands as an embarrassing monument to eco destruction. Again, no March against that as there is no money to be made out of it.
It seems to me that a combination of free food and cheap anti expat rhetoric is the only thing that motivates round here.
Having been intentionally and overtly excluded from opportunities in their own land, contrary to law and basic human behavior, for a decade, what do you expect?
Cheap shots in these comments… all f which are dead missses bro.
Quit generalising & the cheap reverse-psychology!
So how many marched in this event and all the others mentioned?
We need to change immigration to give all the people that are here for 15 and more year status and are qualified to receive such grants. Then we should place a moritorium on PR and status by non investors for 20 years to let the country grow. We should give every investor with 20 or more million dollars investment in Cayman automatic status and get rid of the special tax exemptions that they get.
anon 0709 So we should sell the country?
Sorry already sold to the highest bidder.
It almost has been sold. Everything is for sale here, real estate, permits, votes and silence.
Oh I forgot, residency too if you have got a spare 1.5 million.
Guess you should ask Mr Dart if he wants to.
We need to get through to people like you that the rules changed almost 5 years ago. The lawmakers of the Cayman Islands must conform to global protocols and conventions on human rights for which the United Kingdom (and by extension, the Cayman Islands) are bound. Rest assured, the days of denying someone the right of abode for 20 years under some arbitary demeaning local rule, are gone. Any dinosaur-thinking pundit of the Cayman Islands will just have to lament that they can no longer speak in those terms and adjust their attitude going forward, and I would encourage the talk show hosts to adjust to the times as well. It has been this way since 2009 – for shame!
Ok if we have to give status to everyone that qualifies give it to them under international convention here is the solution change the requirements and cost of PR and Status. If it was left up to me the application for PR would be $1,500 and the cost would be the cost of the relevant permit fee x 12 there would have to be an additional fee for dependents. This immigration explosion is what is going to send this country into chaos. Too much expenditure for too little gain.
Well said, let's hope someone takes this bunch of discrimatory jokers to the ECHR.
Alright!!!! We Caymanians have a problem… There are plenty of jobs out there, we just don't want to do them, plain and simple. If we were willing to be a server, bartender, cleaner, cook, helper, we would be all employed. Oh sorry this is not good enough from us. Oh yes I am caymanian and I am entitled to a job… No we are not. We have to work for it.
i am unemployed and have been for a couple of years, I fortunately when layer off had saved my money, yes I saved money, I drive an old car and live within my means. Fortunately my wife works. We have cut off our hot water and rarely have ac, we have changed our living habits to live within our means.
I really should say I am unemployed as I have started two small businesses, the T&B cost $300 a piece, butnimhave not collected a salary, so,yes I'm unemployed. I don't go,to the governemt to,get food stamps or cuc bills paid. I live within my means.
itmhas been hard these last few years and yes I am having to,think about going to work for someone again. Imknowmwhat imam qualified to do but guess what if I can't get that job, I have to be a man and support my family, so guess what I will get a job, in fact I was talking to an expat, great guy, he asked,if I wanted to come to his work (bartender) he offered to teach me. He told me he walks,away on an average day with $150 tips!!!! That's not the extra $45 bucks salary… Hey that not bad..
Lets be honest we have been luck all these years getting whatever jobs we wanted even if not qualified but guess what we now need to work for it and don't like it..
Letes see all the thumbs down from my fellow caymanians now.. Oh yeh we love to put each other down don't we.
You are right I had to work for $5.00 per hour I got laid off my job that paid me $5,000 per month which I was able to qualify for a mortgage, I could hardly get by to buy food and pay CUC I tried to rent my house to pay the mortgage but no one wants to rent it. I don't have cable and any luxury items anymore. I tried to find three or four more jobs to make enough money to pay my mortgage and bills. Yes my fellow Caymanians this is what is now happening here to locals yet many expats come here daily and get jobs that I am qualified and able to do. These people get to send their money home but I have live off minimum wage and be happy to go to my bed hungry at nights because I have to pay my bills first. Think people before you generalize about all Caymanians. I don't know of any expat that had to live like this. It got so bad that I just left because I could not cope I had to go look a life overseas where I am doing much better because it is less expensive to live but I miss my country a lot and wish the laws would protect us more.
5000 a month! Where is the job, I will do that for 4000. That is still more than I get now.
If you was an unemployed Caymanian you would be singing a different song!!!
Ummmm, I think he is an unemployed Caymanian
If you could conjuagte the verb "to be" then you would probably be in a better paid job.
To: Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 28/09/2013 – 02:59. If you could spell "conjugate" correctly ,perhaps you would be in a better paid job.
One is a typo, the other highlights a poor education. Big difference.
yeah sure we believe you are a Caymanian…Who are you, Alden?
My friend you are a joy to our ears. Good luck finding work, you deserve success.
I am so confused because I do not believe that there are enough Caymanians alive to make up the March.
Not enough to make up the march but a lot to rob you how ironic!
You are most certainly confused.
I'm giving my Jamaican helper the day off to join in the march.
I agree. The only way an expat should be allowed to remain here on island after 5 years is only if he/she marries to a Caymanian; and I mean a REAL Caymanian, not a PAPER ONE. Other than that, go home and leave the job openings for the natives.
What a vile person you must be to have thoughts like this. Anyone else that feels this way needs to learn their fundamental Cayman history: For almost four decades, the nation has been fortunate to experience a boom in economic growth driven almost entirely by the financial services sector. This engine of the local economy was not possible without Caymanians and expatriates working hand-in-hand together. You are a disgrace to yourself if you don't get that. There are no job openings without a financial services sector, and no financial services sector without the significant continuing contributions from specialist high-level expatriates. If you don't believe me, pick up a book on Bahamas history.
But its OK for you to go to the US and have dueal passports? Push that move through and I will lobby Obama to do same to Caymanians in the US. And in the UK for that matter. Careful what you wish for, it comes back in spades.
Is it painful when your knuckles drag along the ground or are you used to it by now?
Cool, where do we buy one?
Okay you bigoted idiot, we'll take back our British passports and leave you in peace.
Oh yes, and our low interest loan for the national debt, the diplomatic and security coverage and your place at the table of territories that form the Commonwealth, (British Nationality Act 1981).
I'm sure there's much more, but I've probably lost you already.
You're an idiot. We already have enoough expats marrying Caymanians to avoid being rolled over and adding to the future divorce statistics here. I am an expat about to leave. My boyfriend of 6 years has asked me to marry him several times as he doesn't want me to leave, but I refuse to marry him for residency, I want to marry him because we care for, support and provide for each other and can see ourselves together for life – and I just don't see that coming from him so I'm going home. You should be grateful that some of us still stick to our marriage vows in the manner God intended us to, rather than to avoid Immigration concerns.
I'll bring the patties, made by the low wage Jamaican workers. Who making the fish tea?
Paul and Mervyn campaigning early for the bi-election ….these guys need sitdown
Atleast they employ Caymanians.
Ha Ha HA OMG LOL LMAO, what happened to the PPM saving the day..
Your day is coming, mac.
Proffessional Expats are moving to BVI 12:22
Too funny! this is exactly how the problem in the Cayman Iands began. I hope BVI takes a close look at us and Bermuda and sees how much the imported labor has really helped the Islands.
1. Change of Culture for the worse
2. Segregation of the people through inherent racism of some 1st world countries.
3. Crime increase from the many uneducated persons who will come as nanys, gardeners Etc
4. Cocrete Jungles built right on your best beaches (assets)
5. Overburden of your education system
Eventually those same greedy expats will consume BVI and turn it into what we have here.
People often reffer to the educated expats but we have a ton on of un-educated people who received status grants and brought their un-educated and aggressive children who are now caymanian to be unleashed on the island.
PREACH!!!!!!!!! You are so right!
If thats all you think of expats no wonder you hate them. You need to get out more.
Ah think people think. What is really going to happen is when these work permit holders get status they will be the NEW UNEMPLOYED. The ONLY reason they have a job now is that the employers can control them like slaves. They will be made redundant , no jobs. They will ask for a raise as soon as they get their PR . Then all of a sudden no one will want them. They will have a PROBLEM, late, not pushing like before. Not finishing assigments , bad atitude, always kissing their teeth, remarks made under theirbreath. Same shit different day.
Absolutely no understanding of the world 16.12…status holders here are welcome, they work their butts off as they did when they were WP holders…
I am praying for Caymanians. I am wishing for Cayman, by 5:00 pm there will be a real problem in Cayman people will wake up to the truth!
Why the protest give every expat that want and qualify for PR the blessing. We know them and they love the place enough to apply for it so why change them for new people Cayman will always need expats like the rest of the world does. If a Caymanian is qualified and can do the job fine but if not why not give it to the expat? someone needs yo do the job. People the glory days of the past are done, gone and over so deal with it. Understand that unemployment, foreclosure and past due are now a part of the Caymanian lexicon. Greed is what got Cayman into this mess. Now deal with it….
Yes 15.44, and BTW, if Cayman does not allow more Status etc, on its own the population will die out…25,000 "natives" cannot survice on their own, Cayman is a dying nation and needs new blood
I will be there..It's time we all stood together as Cayamnians for our country. Our elected leaders(if you can call them that) continue to fail us. We just got rid of the UDP and now we have the PPM doing exactly the same thing..So disappointed in Alden!!! I thoroughly expected better!! Last time this George Towner gves him my vote!!
So NOW who are you going to vote for?
Don't blame Alden he is only trying to help the situation with the best outcome. The problem is a grave one and needs a practical compromise which Alden has proposed. This problem has not happened in a vacuum or overnight where were you to protest the 2,000 status grants in 2003? Why did you not protest then? The law is now better than it was give the nan some credit.
Oh, I protested the status grants (there were 3,000) and I protested the thousands of family members who were simply allowed to move here without any background checks (there were at least 7,000), and I protested Government's corruption, and I protested Alden pretending he couldn't see what was happening, and today I protest because he is doing nothing to effectively fix it despite the fact the law allows him to.
Any improvement in the law only works if it is enforced. Since the one we have now isn't, what is so different about tomorrow's?
So, correct me if I'm not paying attention. There are 25,000 to 30,000 'Caymanian's' registered on the last census. If, as you claim, 10,000 of those people are status holders and their families, then that would leave a total of 15 to 20,000 who can claim to be 'real Caymanian's'.
According to numbers published in 2010, 40% of the population are of mixed race origin, 20% black, 20% white and the remaining 20% being of various immigrant ethnic groups.
So, exactly who is the 'real Caymanian' in these figures?
As this island was a dependancy of Jamaica, one can easily and accurately assume that the highest source of 'Caymanian' ethnicity would be Jamaican, followed by European and others.
As there is no evidence to support a 'native' Amerindian population in the Cayman Islands, and that the founding fathers were British, one has to conclude that all 'Caymanian's' are immigrants.
To question your assumption further, if in 1960 there were 8,511 residents on the Cayman Islands, and in 2012 there were 56,000 residents, where do you think they all came from? One things for sure, such a small population didn't breed themselves into that number so the vast majority of 'real Caymanian's' are descended from immigrants who came to the Cayman Islands during the glory years of the growth in the financial services industry, ie: from 1970 onwards. In other words, they were expat workers who settled.
The fact is, (and this is based on your own government census 2012) Caymanian's are not only a mixture of races and cultures, they are also a relatively new population who are actually in decline. Accordingly,the current clamber to reduce the expat status, PR and work permit population is doomed to fail as the current population cannot match the expectations of the nationalist minority. Simply put, there's not enough of you.
Finally, there are a lot of wild claims being made about the rights of 'real Caymanian's' and the numbers of so called 'paper Caymanian's'. The real truth is that the vast majority of Caymanian residents are paper Caymanian's somewhere in their recent ancestryand they need to call a halt to the politics of self entitlement and envy. Just because they and their ancestors arrived here before controls were in place, it doesn't give them the right to refuse others the opportunity if they are also intending to honestly invest in blood and treasure.
I think that except for the Indians (Mayan, etc), we can safely say that everyone on this side of the world are immigrants. However, Cayman wasn't inhabited for awhile and the first settlers should be able to claim it before the johnny come latelys. Honestly, when the expats integrated when they were first here there were no problems. I know a man that I didn't know was from Hondurus til the Cubans came and he interpreted for the police, etc. I know a woman that I didn't know was Jamaican til lately. Why? because she integrated. That is the answer. It is sickening to go to a store and have the workers talking Spanish and Filipino to each other instead of tending to customers. It's stuff like that, that causes the divides.
You mean (almost) 3,000 status grants in 2003.
As an ex-pat I would like to listen to the speeches for a laugh.
The speech that that you should e hearing is "me tired to see ya face an you na gonna get a chance to rule in me place". That is the message you should be hearing but the time is not nigh yet.
I am praying Lord please help these beloved idle Cayman and let us remain blessed and unstressed. Take away the pain the pain of crime and unemployment, please help us we need to be cleansed from hurt and pain. Be with us expats and natives alike as we look for better prospects.
Can someone translate. I don't speak grunt.
And as a Caymanian i would like to send your ass back home! For a laugh.
Good luck. See if you can spot me laughing at the protest.
For a laugh I'd like to see you actually get of your ass and try.
As a Caymanian I ask you not to take this seriously because most Caymanians don't share the same sentiments of the poster we know that expats are valuable to our society and so are we. Therefore we must work together, I have no problems with expats getting jobs as long as Caymanians get jobs too. There are enough jobs to go around for both groups and no one should be without a job.
''With more than 2,000 Caymanians unemployed and many blocked from advancing in the jobs they currently hold'''…..
cns, what is your source for this info??????
Oh gee, I don't know, maybe their eyes and ears…
Go check a big law firm and play "spot the Caymanian with more than 5 years PQE" It is a very hard game.
Pure bias probably.
The poster was referring to the thousands of caymanians who do not work, not the actual unemployed. There is a difference.
Probably Cayman Crosstalk. They do like to stir the pot and feed the frenzy.
when i read nonsense like this….. it makes me sure that i will only ever try to employ expats…..
Start packing, you plainly have outlived (and abused) our welcome.
Employ expats that is your right but don't complain about giving them PR and status at the end of the day because they are entitled to it.
Employing expats in any country is a privilege, not a right!
It is a necessity and the alternative is too depressing to think about.
…as usual.
I guess so you can continue to exploit them, not pay pension and health care. That is the REAL reason why so many employers (including Caymanian employers) are desperate for the extension. At least they can get another two years of cheap labor out of them before the are being sent packing.
All I could do is laugh when I saw this, I knew it wouldn’t take long for Alden to get on the bad side of people, he basically bamboozled his way into office with a campaign of hatred against the UDP attempting to block everything they tried to do and did everything he could to demonize them to the people and then made it seem that a vote for an independent was helping the UDP. I know that once he was elected the people would turn on him as well when they realize that they are no better off than when the UDP was in charge. And what has he done since being in office but stay out of site and do nothing different, while earning a big paycheck and jet setting around the world just like Bush. Cayman you all brought this on yourselves and deserve everything you get for putting these people back in charge after they damn near bankrupted you.
Didn't read your whole post, but I will agree that he UDP and their leader were demons.
Maybe you should have read the entire comment. Shows your level of ignorance really.
I am making a prediction that after three years of the PPM administration, alot of people are going to side on the Opposition and wish they didnt fill the house with so many Alden/Kurt followers. Mark my words. Its a mere repeat.
Progrrrresives for who?
Yep, and then they'll vote the UDP back in and hate them after three months..
Our 2 party system and blame game is the entire problem! When are you voters going to learn that the promises, scraps if meat, and board nominations for an uncle, are only a ploy for your votes so these fat cats can take turns every 4 years to screw the entire population? We would be better off under a Custos and an accountant!
The only people who should be for the revamp and removal of the roll over policy should be expats and the people who employ them. They claim this will help the economy. But this will not help the un-employment situation we already have with our own people. This will only make it worse!
Once these people gain Cayman Status 1 or 2 things will occur.
I don’t have anything against the expat community but for an Island this small every person who decides to come here for a period of time should not be entitled to remain permanently. At the end of the day all of these expats have a place to return to; a place they call home. As Caymanians this is our home and we have nowhere to run to. We need to protect our people first and insure our best interests are being considered at all times.
Or 3) they will open their own businesses and/or make investments in our country so that there will be a greater pool of job opportunities for our people.
i know 2 people ready to make such investments when or if they secure status.
I am for giving Chinese business people PR and status they have the money and will open businesses employ locals and purchase properties like they are doing in the USA. Caymanians now need outside investments to fuel the economy and we need more people and business to stay in the country and stop sending the money out of the country. We need to get Cayman like Singapore that is a good economy to model our society from.
No one is proposing the removal of rollover, only the change from 7 years to 9 years.
and then what? What is going to happen once year 9 comes trickling along? What laws will then be changed to apiece the businesses and expats?
9 years residency allows everyone to apply for (but not necessarily be granted) PR.
"Appease".
I shake my head as a younger Caymanian at the constant deflection of blame and finger pointing surrounding this issue…
If half as much energy was put into trying to right the wrongs in our Caymanian youth today and more focus was put on educating them and raising them to be able to fill these positions, we wouldn't even be having this debate.
As a Caymanian business owner I struggle daily to fill the positions I have available with qualified, hard working Caymanians. Don't get me wrong, there are actually a lot of them out there but they are so valuable employers do everything they can to keep them. However, there is a massive pool of unemployed who don't take their jobs seriously when they get them, don't realise you have to work hard to get ahead in life, and jump from job to job always seeking more or an easier life leading to an undercurrent of concern amoungst employers that they will put all the effort into training only to have them jump ship.
In my business, I employ only Caymanians or legal residents with a right to work if I can help it. But it is a sad reflection that the younger Caymanians are the first to call in sick, ask to go home early or sit down and wait to be told what to do instead of using their initiative.
We as a Caymanian community have allowed this to happen. Our kids are not getting the direction and support they need at home andwe are losing an entire genertation. My only hope is this will be a wake up call to my fellow Caymanians to focus on the family, get involved and encourage your children and other yougsters out there and do everything we can to reverse this trend.
Believe me, I begrudge paying the work permit fee for the one non-Caymanian I have. That is money I could very much use in this day and age. But sadly, I cannot find anyone to fill that position and unless and until we get our act together an flood the workforce with hard working, qualified Caymanian workers, I, and other Cyamanian business owners, will be forced to find these necessary assets in the foreign workforce.
I think you are missing the point. Nobody has issues when work permits are taken out, but not for cases where there ARE qualified Caymanians available. Also, why does the rollover period need to be extended? What is this to achieve? Give more people the opportunity to apply for PR and then get it? Then what? Where does it stop? How many people are we going to give PR and what happens to all their dependants they are going to bring along?
Allowing people who want to be a part of this community to stay longer is not a bad thing in my opinion, if there are genuine cases of racism here and people aren’t getting jobs or being promoted because their Caymanian that definitely needs to go away, but the idea that having a longer term limit will make it harder for Caymanians to getwork is not logical, it will always be cheaper and easier to hire a Caymanian, assuming we can get up and work hard and to a good standard. If we relied on the 18476 person electorate to make up a world class work force this island would fail and not be the world class financial centre that we have today, people need to realize the damage their doing to the counties reputation when doing this shortsighted actions….
Racism, yes, but its from Caymanians…your people approve work permits, no-one else. And the rabid racism from people on here shows a complete lack of understanding of how to be competitive in the real world. Go ahead, protest, good luck to you. Kiss your welfare state bye bye when the WP income falls through the floor.
Our welfare state is largely a product of the unlawful cabinet status grants and the mass imortation of expetriate poverty that followed, and placed our own poor in an even worse position.
So let me get this straight?
The entitlement culture and spoon Fed population is now the fault of expats?
You never give up do you?
How many letters in the word Heejut,16:13? No, you so damn dumb you wouldn't know.
There's nothing worse than a Caymanian whose nose is constantly stuck up some body's rump, because THEY "at present" have a Job and think only about THEMSELVES.
They never think of all of those unemployed persons who are struggling to make ends meet. I'll venture to say that these brown nosers "even if they knew of jobs that were available at their place of work" would more quickly mention these vacancies to expat friends, than they would mention to their boss, that there were qualified caymanians out there who are able and willing to fill those vacancies, and that He "the boss " should make an effort to recruit some of these unemployed persons to fill these positions in his business. One would think! UH UH!
There's an old Caribbean poem that goes thus: Of all my mothers children, I love "MYSELF" the best. And when I get "MY" belly full, To hell with all the rest.
That folks is how a lot of those among us think! But "THEY WON'T STOP THIS TRAIN" We're on a mission, and we will keep on pushing until we get this ridiculously proposed TLEP legislation changed so that those qualified persons who are citizens of this Island will get first preference to any jobs for which they are qualified.
Unna Betta Listen!
Sad situation indeed. All unemployed people should go to the Employment office Government Building, Immigration, and LA dressed in your finest suits preferrable along with copies of your qualifications. Call in the local press and international press. Send a message that we are a tolerant society and welcome foreign workers but will not allow it to continue while the local community seek employment. I bet it will stop right in its tracks like the Expat tax.
Hey Mr. The truth is he who feels and lives with the prejudice against the Caymanian, is the Caymanian. People hired because they know somebody, met them on an outing come from the same neighborhood, no particular knowledge of the field they are employed in initially, but sent on training. On permit renewal goes into a different job category, cayman employees who could ave been trained did not get the opportunity and son and so on. Time and the rope ate both getting shorter and shorter.
There is much maligned and vindictive fear of new migration, but the fact is we, like many other countries, need the population growth to sustain our industries and create real 9-5 opportunities for Caymanians.
Opponents to PR (including some radio talk show hosts) need to better understand and come to grips with the lengthy and emotional process of applying to the special Immigration Board for Permanent Residency (and then again for Naturalisation, and once more years later for Status).
There is a lengthy and substantial process (for each) and a successful outcome only attained after: successfully passing a Cayman history and current events exam (which would challenge many born-Caymanians), demonstration of community service and involvement, and proof of ownership and inward investment in Cayman.
Contrary to popluar opinion, applicants need to demonstrate quite a bit more than "a pulse" to be approved and those that have successfully navigated this process should be welcomed as the brothers and sisters that they are – in fact, they are certified as such!
To suggest that the certification process is too easy, is a disservice to these Boards helmed entirely by born-Caymanians, as well as to those brothers and sisters that have successfully qualified (without availing themselves to the cabinet grant gold rush of years ago).
Well said. People who apply for PR and Status haved earnt their right to call themselves Caymanian, unlike the past generations who came from other Caribbean countries and settled without having to prove a thing.
Caymanian's are all immigrants and ultimately British Overseas Territory Citizens, Cayman Islands and NOT Caymanian Citizens, Cayman Islands.
Of course, you don't hear the UK taxpayer demanding to withdraw FCO support, security or diplomatic services, or charge the appropriate interest rate on your national debt.
No, but you freely discriminate against us, calling us 'foriegners', (amongst other bigoted phraseology).
The worst thing that ever happened was when the UK government niavely thought that this shameful place could actually conduct it's internal affairs. For my part I wish you would go your own way, then 'Cayman for Caymanian's' really will be the last rallying call as you sink into anarchy and irrelevance.
Good points. As a slightly different view, could the UK tax payers hold a referendum on the future of overseas territories and the associated securities.
You need a serious history lesson. You are misinformed on ALOT!
So go ahead, enlighten us, prove that a population total of 8,500, (Caymanian's and expats) in 1960 grew to 56,000 in 50 years without serious immigration.
It is you who needs to have a serious history and demographics lesson, read your own census and do the maths.
Wow. That was an ignorant and spiteful diatribe.
"Of course, you don't hear the UK taxpayer demanding to…charge the appropriate interest rate on your national debt".
Huh? Why on earth would the UK be entitled to charge us interest on our national debt?! You do understand that the UK does not lend us any money, don't you? The UK merely approves us borrowing from commercial banks because we are currently in breach of the strict financial responsibility ratios contained in our own legislation.
Suddenly you know about bigotry when the shoe is on the other foot. How about when the UK unilaterally abrogated our right of abode in the UK by creating two classes of citizens – British Citizens and BOTCs? Of course the white British Subjects in the Crown Dependencies and the Falkland Islands retained that right.
Do shut up you d@mn hypocrite.
Read the UKBA website stupid.
What on earth does the UK Border Agency website have to do with my comments, moron?
At UK borrowing rates, basically you piggy back on our credit rating.
Ummm… no we don't. We have our own credit ratings which move independent of the UK's.
But you didn't attempt to argue the rest. Anyway, why would we want bigoted knobs like you anyway.
Pots and kettles.
Yes, great idea, 2000 Unemployed Man March on the LA. However, it better be scheduled
for late afternoon because none of those people are going to get up early in the morning.
The liquor store is not open until 10:00 AM, so no reason to wake up any earlier.
It would beinteresting to see if someone could get the 2000 unemployed people to go and sit in the LA and make their presence truly known to the government. I think that would send Avery powerful message to the CIG.
If only there were actually 2000 unemployed….
rooster says it is 3,000…. well thats what they say every tuesday morning…
Rooster: the rich protein stew that spawned foolio what'shisname!
I agree; there are probably significantly more who have not registered.
I'd like to know how these unemployment figures are made up. I really hope its not simply a case of number of Caymanians on-island minus number of Caymanians with jobs. This clearly would not be an accurate representation of the real unemployment problem Cayman has. Some of those without jobs could be retired, parenting, self-employed, or just sat on the beach and/or bars getting drunk and/or stoned everyday. Some have no desire or intention of ever working. Some are unfit/unable to work due to health reasons. That does not make them unemployed.
Cayman should have an Employment Agency (and I don't mean the pathetic attempt of such an office we have in existence now) and anyone really willing able and fit to work should be registered with it, as a matter of law, not choice. Such agency should carry out skills matching just as a recruitment company would do, and all employers should have to first consult with the Agency before advertising jobs for expats. It should also offer compulsory training and skills workshops similar to the Back to Work programmes. Anyone who repeatedly doesn't attend should be struck of the register as if they really want work they would attend the workshops. Not turning up, simply demonstrates the potential problems those people would present to a prospective employer, e.g. turning up late, or not turning up at all for work. Only those registered with the agency who attend compulsory training/skills workshops should be classified as willing, able and fit to work, and only those people should be counted when coming up with a real unemployment figure.
On a Friday at 10.00am, will hopefully be at work!
Some would not come out for the fear of actually walking out of the LA with a job that pays less than the social assistance they receive.
Free fooooooood!
Why are people feeling the need to protest against a silly piece of legislation that is basically inacted anyway. Why don't they get out on the streets and protest at the growing crime rate?
But I suppose that would entail the blinkered idiots admitting that their own are destroying this islands reputation beyond repair. Its much better to appear to be a nationalist and blame everyone else for the problem.
Unemployment, especially the small numbers we are dealing with on this island , is not an excuse for criminal activity. This scum don't want to work, they get more money from crime.
Wake up Cayman, the roll over is not the big issue, violent crime and social breakdown is and its within your own community.
The truth is that you won't need to worry about the likelyhood of an influx of applicants for PR. Expats from the service and professional sector will go, they have nothing to stay for, no property rights, no citizenship rights and no respect. This place is getting a reputation for crime, but more importantly, it is getting a reputation for being unwelcoming and a hostile towards anyone who wishes to contribute to its society. There is a nasty unbelly of discrimination and racism, which if reflected in more cilvilised countries would result in arrest, here it seems normal to disparage foriegn workers for the colour of their skin or country of origin. The N word is used quite loosely amongst some locals when referring to Jamaican's, a visible product of a backward looking country.
Look around you, cruise ship numbers are down, professional and experienced expats are leaving in quite large numbers, tourism is starting to get the message that Cayman is becoming unsafe, (read Trip Advisor) and inward investment is almost at a standstill. Where do you think you're going and what are you going to do when you get there?
Professional expats are moving to BVI in droves so Cayman beware there are real competition out there and they have just as much to offer.
I for one would wish that as many as the airlines can carry will go. I would like to see Cayman back to where it was 20 years ago. Thats when it was heaven and everybody started coming here. I bet those people to where they are running towill be more smarter then we Caymanians and they wont be able to have the same priveledges there. I hope that I will have the priveledge of coming to the Airport to wave you good bye.
So where do your ancestors come from, when did they arrive here, pre 1960 when the population was 8,000 or in the years in between?
"Priveledges". Sigh. That's just one of the reasons Cayman is effed. The ignorance and illiteracy is sosad. No wonder they need expats just to survive.
We are welcoming and accommodating but many of the foreign persons are not willing to blend in with the locals and have an arrogant condescending attitude towards Caymanians. Years ago when people came here from abroad they attermpted to blend in and appreciate things Caymanian but that is no longer the case. There are many foreigners who contributed greatly to the country selflessly such as D. rJ Hugh Cummings and Rev M Lee KIng but sadly most who come these days are only here for self serving purposes.
As en expat, I totally agree with you on this. I hate the way so many avoid integration with the communities and would rather spend time exclusively with each other. I came here to experience Cayman and its people, not hide from them or stick my nose up at them.
I feel the same way. And even my parents do – they were ashamed of our own people's behaviour / attitude here.
UK citizen.
People just like to protest – usually there is food available by the organisers to lure people out, often drinks and music too. An apportunity to bitch and moan with free food is not to be missed!
Kinda like happy hour
Will you stop with the bullshit generalizations? Where are your statistics regarding the high number of professional workers are departing these shores? Work permit approvals have been steadily increasing quarterly and annually respectfully (Checkout the ESO workplace report). Your assertion that this island is backward thinking is paramount to your hegemonic believes. Every country suffers from racism, discrimination and sexism in some form or the other.
I suggest that you exert your efforts towards seeking solutions versus helping contribute towards the Caymanian versus Expat argument
Ya got a good point there c
Why would you want advice from a foriegner, especially one that you would kick of this rock tomorrow if you had the opportunity?
No, I'm not going to give you advice, especially on your failure to educate your young people, get a grip on teenage pregnancy, drink and drug abuse, gun crime, burglary, muggings etc, etc ………..
That is your society's problem, not mine, you saw to that. On an island this small, with such a tiny local population, your problems should be almost zero. Instead you have embarked on a policy of exclusion and marginalisation, that will come back to haunt you.
You need to acknowledge that people are leaving and will plan to leave whilst places like the BVI are opening their arms.
"[M]any being blocked from advancing in the jobs they currently hold" yet more biased assertion being set out as fact.
Ask the law firms where all the local lawyers that joined them are, and why they left!
Cayman are you really surprised that Preimer Mcloghlin is not listening to the concerns of the people and ploughing ahead with unpopular policies? Irony is a helluva thing. This is exactly what his predecessors did and what he criticized them for.
$ame $hit different government
I like to say same shit, recycled government! Get them ALL out! PPM/UDP – Tomatoes, tomatoes
The roll over policy has not been removed. The PPM have extended term limit from 7 to 9 years. Where in the ppm manifesto did they state this was going to happen if they were elected and formed the government?
The concept of a roll over provision has always existed in the Immigration Laws. It is not possible to stay in another country indefinitely without a defined period attached to a person's immigration status.