49 Individuals Granted Islander Status After Supreme Court Ruling

Her Excellency the Governor, Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, has granted Islander Status to 49 individuals following a landmark Supreme Court ruling that overturned previous denials of their applications.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Governor confirmed that the individuals, who originally applied between 2016 and 2018, were wrongly denied by the Status Commission in 2021. The Supreme Court later found that the Commission had acted outside its jurisdiction, prompting a reconsideration of the applications under the correct legal standards.

“The Court further clarified that none of the considerations listed under section 4(7) of the 2021 Ordinance serve as an automatic bar to Islander Status,” the Governor stated. “Accordingly, they do not prevent a grant of status but are matters to which the Governor must have regard.”

Among those now granted Islander Status are Jennifer Blain, Ryan Blain, Robert Brace, David Cadman, Graham Canham, Neale Coleman, Glenn Everest Chesterton, Owen Foley, Todd Foss, Jaidev Ganglani, Jitender Ganglani, Carmela Giordano, Cameron Griffiths, Christoper Griffiths, Conrad Griffiths, Garry Hastings, Patrick Hayward, Michael Horton, Cecilia Holden, Naomi Jiljane Brace, Sanjay Gopaldas, Phillipee Kunz, Antoine L’Huereux, Foluso Ladejobi, Agile LeVin, Christine LeVin, Daniel LeVin, Eric LeVin, Hope LeVin, Robert Menson, Paul Murray, Rosemary Nicholls, Simon Nicholls, Amory Nieves Chesterton, Perla Nieves Chesterton, Frances O’Brien-Mensen, Christian Papachristou, Alex Pierre, Jean Pierre Demontigny, Lawrence Saintange, Mary Scholar, Jason Soderquist, Isabella Stanbrook, Ivor Stanbrook, Dr. Christopher Stephen Bourne, Adam Twigg, Kishore Uttamchandani, Norman Watson, and Bernd Wolf.

This decision marks the resolution of a prolonged legal challenge and underscores the commitment to fair, transparent, and lawful processes in granting Islander Status.

A new Turks and Caicos Islander Status Act introduced in 2024 now establishes a points-based system to ensure fairness and transparency in evaluating future applications, protecting the integrity of Islander Status while clarifying eligibility criteria.

Governor Daniel-Selvaratnam concluded, “After carefully reviewing the applications against the applicable legal framework and the legal advice received, I am satisfied that the 49 individuals listed have met the requirements to be granted Islander Status.”