Premier meets Britain’s Overseas Territory Minister
David Burt met David Rutley, Britain’s Overseas Territory Minister, to discuss Bermuda’s passports, participation in Caricom and constitutional reform.
The Premier was joined by Walter Roban, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Home Affairs, in the meeting of the Joint Ministerial Council.
Mr Burt posted on X that Bermuda passport codes that have caused travel challenges for close to seven years will be reinstated as of April.
He wrote: “The Deputy Premier and I joined UK Overseas Territory Minister @DavidRutley MP, for our annual bilateral meeting. Discussions centred around passports, greater Bermudian participation in @CARICOMorg and ongoing constitutional reform.
“We were also pleased to receive good news! After a six-year wait, it was confirmed that BMU codes will be reinstated as of April 2024 ― this is a testament to the Government's continued pressure to ensure that this matter is resolved so that Bermudians can travel without issue.
“This concluded a productive visit for the Joint Ministerial Council and I look forward to returning to Bermuda today as the @BdaGovernment continues our work to deliver on the 2023 Throne Speech.”
In the Throne Speech, the Government said it would initiate a consultation process over full membership of Caricom, a Caribbean intergovernmental organisation.
Bermuda has associate membership at present.
The Premier said previously consultation would now take place over the issue, which he said would bring “broad benefits”.
A coding discrepancy on Bermuda passports surfaced after May 2016, when the printing of Bermudian passports was taken over by Britain.
The biometric chip on Bermudian passports caused travel chaos in multiple countries, particularly at ports of entry to America other than the US pre-clearance at LF Wade International Airport.
The code GBR, for Great Britain, would appear when passport data was scanned instead of BMU, the country code for Bermuda.
It was announced last March that Bermuda’s constitution will be redeveloped in consultation with the British Government.
Kathy Lynn Simmons, the Attorney-General, told the Budget debate for the Ministry of Legal Affairs at the time, that constitutional reform was “a matter of self-determination, autonomy and decolonisation”.
It was recently announced that Mr Roban will take over “all matters related to Caricom and the area of constitutional reform”.
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