Whose Future Is This? Why Independence Must Be on the Table

An Op-Ed by Hon. Jameka Williams

For too long, the topic of independence has been treated like something dangerous, tiptoed around, avoided, and kept in the shadows by those who fear the responsibility that comes with it. But with the realities unfolding in our country today, silence is no longer an option. Our political climate demands honesty, courage, and a serious conversation about the direction we want these islands to take.

Jameka Williams

Everywhere we turn, we see signs that our country is slipping out of the hands of the very people who built it. Foreigners are buying up our land at an alarming pace, securing large portions of our home while many Turks and Caicos Islanders struggle to afford even a small piece for their children. Land is our identity, our history, our inheritance, and shockingly, it is still not fully under the control of our people. Decisions about land, access, and ownership continue to be influenced by external forces and policies that do not prioritize Turks and Caicos Islanders. That is not sustainable. That is not sovereignty.

Adding to this is the disturbing trend of expatriates seeking Turks and Caicos Islander Status for all the wrong reasons. Many are not applying because they love our people or want to help build our nation. They want access, access to land, business privileges, and opportunities meant for our citizens. After gaining Status, far too many do not assimilate or contribute meaningfully, they form their own circles, their own communities, and their own centers of power, separate from the people of this country. To make matters worse, TCI Status has even been approved, in recent times, through discretionary powers by a Governor, despite the objections of the locally appointed Status Board established to safeguard our national interest.

But let me be clear, many individuals came to our shores as foreigners, embraced our culture, earned their Status, and are now proud Turks and Caicos Islanders, people like Titus de Boer come to mind. Their commitment shows us what true integration and loyalty look like.

This conversation is not about them.

The concern lies with those who come not to contribute, not to build with us, but simply to benefit from opportunities intended for our people.

Meanwhile, our own citizens are being pushed out, forced to leave their homeland in search of opportunities that should exist right here. When Turks and Caicos Islanders feel they cannot survive in the land of their birth, that is more than a policy issue, it is a national crisis. We are not just losing talent, we are losing identity. Our culture, our values, our way of life are slowly fading as we lose control over the forces shaping our society.

Illegal activity is rampant, from human smuggling to organized crime, threatening the safety and stability of our communities. These issues are symptoms of a system where control is fragmented, where those who should be managing our borders, enforcing our laws, and protecting our people are under resourced or operating under external authority. A country without full control of its own security cannot guarantee its own future.

And this brings us to one of our most telling examples, our justice system.

We are one of the few, if not the only country in this region with a fully integrated judicial system that conducts high-profile and complex trials by judge alone, not by jury. Yet despite this approach, we have trials lasting more than 10 years, some of the longest trials in history. These delays serve no one but those who benefit from stretching cases for years, milking the system dry while justice for our people is delayed and denied.

Worse still, we have seen special appointed prosecution teams, individuals brought here at great cost under external authority, who, after years of involvement, have now settled comfortably into our islands, stared business and purchase their own piece of paradise. Meanwhile, the cases they came here to prosecute drag on endlessly, draining resources and eroding public trust.

And now, increasingly, expatriates are challenging decisions made in our own Parliament, decisions crafted to empower our people, strengthen our institutions, and safeguard our sovereignty. Instead of respecting the will of our elected leaders, some challenge these decisions in court to serve their own interests. This is a clear sign that our laws, our authority, and our democratic choices are being undermined by those never meant to shape the destiny of this nation.

While the United Kingdom retains responsibility for good governance, we cannot ignore that they have been found wanting. Despite multiple brief visits from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the sustained support needed to address our challenges never materializes. What we receive is surface level attention, not the deep, committed engagement required for a nation facing the pressures we face today.

We have also witnessed our national bank, a bank created for our people, being forced to close. Today, commercial banks operate with little regard for the realities of Turks and Caicos Islanders, making it nearly impossible for our people to access the financial support needed to build families, businesses, and futures. This was not the choice of a free people, it was the result of decisions made far from our shores.

This reflects a deeper truth, too much authority in this country is still not ours. Too much power remains in the hands of UK appointed Governors, individuals we did not choose, cannot remove, and cannot hold accountable. In 2025, such an arrangement is outdated, unsustainable, and unacceptable.

Independence is not an impulsive step. It is a structured, responsible, deliberate process of strengthening our institutions, empowering our people, and restoring national confidence. But this process cannot begin if we are too afraid to talk about it.

Our greatest weakness as a people is that we do not demand enough accountability. We whisper our concerns, share them on social media, instead of insisting on answers. Whether it is questionable Status grants, disappearing land, illegal activity, decade long trials, or decisions in our Parliament being challenged by noncitizens, we must stop treating silence as the safe option. Silence is how nations lose control of their destiny.

If we do not start the independence conversation now, others will shape our future for us, and their priorities will not center around Turks and Caicos Islanders.

This is not about dividing the nation, it is about saving it, for us.

It is about giving our children the right to live, lead, and thrive in their own country, not watch from the sidelines while others take what should be theirs.

The conversation about independence is not for another time, it is for right now.

Hon. Jameka Williams is Deputy Speaker of the TCI Parliament and an All Island Member of Parliament.