Bryan Warns BVI Risks Hostile State Label
Outgoing USVI Governor Albert Bryan Jr has warned that the BVI could face being treated as a "hostile state" by the United States, including possible travel warnings and tougher border restrictions, as the dispute over the territory's commercial charter vessel fees escalates. Bryan said US federal officials want a more aggressive approach before the charter season, but clarified that he has not discussed a hostile-state designation with them.
The British Virgin Islands could face being branded a "hostile state" by the United States, with possible travel warnings and tougher border restrictions, as tensions escalate over the territory's commercial charter vessel fees, outgoing United States Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr has warned.
Speaking at a Government House press briefing on Monday, November 9, Bryan said: "What they're risking now, with the aggressive actions that the U.S. has taken on visas, is creating a hardship on their border for people coming in or out. [They risk] the U.S. doing something like issuing a travel warning to a hostile state, which would be the BVI.
But we would love to see an amicable resolve to this." Asked whether he had raised a hostile-state designation with federal officials, Bryan said he had not, but added that "there are things that we could do." He said the matter has moved beyond the Virgin Islands because it involves trade across an international border, and that US federal partners want "a more aggressive approach" before the charter season begins.
He said he has meetings with them in the next week or two. Bryan said he recently had dinner with Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley in Tortola to discuss the fees. He said the USVI proposed that its operators pay 50 percent more than BVI-based operators pay to be registered, an offer he considers fair, but claimed the BVI does not want to move because "they like the money that they're collecting." According to Bryan, BVI officials instead pressed for relaxed border restrictions and US immigration pre-clearance in Tortola, a measure he said his administration does not oppose.
Premier Wheatley has previously defended the Commercial Recreational Vessel Licence (CRVL) fees, saying the USVI is not being singled out because all foreign vessels pay the same charges, and that the BVI is charging for a licence to conduct commercial activity in its waters rather than for entering them.
The dispute is expected to pass to Bryan's successor, Stacey Plaskett, who argued against the BVI's charter fee increases before winning the governorship. Bryan stressed that the BVI remains a partner. "We don't want to see anything negative happen to them," he said.
Primary source: BVI News