Ancestral Virgin Islands are fearful — Walwyn

Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn has warned that ancestral Virgin Islanders are living with fear as they see themselves being outnumbered in their own homeland.

Speaking during a recent interview, Walwyn said the concerns of these Virgin Islanders must be recognised.

“You have to recognise that there is a fair factor that ancestral Virgin Islanders have. And you can’t blame those persons for having that. Because you are seeing yourself in a small country where you’re being outnumbered in your own home. And it’s a feeling of anxiety,” he explained.

Walwyn stressed that the fear should be addressed by policies, not division.

“I’m saying there is a way to remedy that. And so the effort should be placed on remedying that rather than trying to create the risks that we’re creating,” he stated. He argued that the strength of the territory lies in its diversity, with people of deep ancestral ties living alongside those whose parents came from other islands and immigrants who have been granted belonger status.

“We have to move past this outsiders type thing,” he asserted.

The Opposition Leader also called for greater focus on economic ownership as a way to safeguard ancestral Virgin Islanders. “