Rosan Blames NDP for Immigration Woes
Media owner and commentator Cindy Rosan has blamed the National Democratic Party (NDP) for recent immigration pressures in the British Virgin Islands, saying policy changes under that administration relaxed safeguards and overwhelmed social services. Speaking on her Morning Facts programme, Rosan urged tighter controls, including a roll-over policy to limit years counted toward residency and citizenship.
Cindy Rosan, media owner and political commentator, has laid responsibility for the British Virgin Islands’ current immigration challenges at the feet of the former National Democratic Party (NDP) administration. Speaking on her Morning Facts programme, Rosan said policy decisions that relaxed immigration and labour safeguards have left the territory struggling to manage its borders and social systems. "A lot of the situations where the BVI finds itself today, in 2026, I’m going to blame the NDP for it," Rosan said.
She warned that lifting legislation without adequate safeguards creates "a nightmare" and accused authorities of having "completely lost grasp" of immigration policies and enforcement. Rosan cited specific past rules that required work-permit holders to demonstrate they could financially support dependents before bringing them to the territory.
She argued those protections have either been removed or are not being enforced, resulting in greater demand on government departments such as Social Development and Education. "You’re bringing them in. You know they can’t afford private school. The public system," Rosan said, noting that increased enrolments and requests for social assistance strain public resources. "Children must be educated.
And if you haven’t adjusted the laws to match what you’re allowing, you turn the BVI into a slope." Beyond institutional capacity, Rosan expressed concern about social cohesion. She said that as more people with different backgrounds arrive, many long-term residents feel uneasy and less connected to their communities. "When I go out now, I don’t know anyone.
You don’t know who is around you," she said, adding that her stance is not rooted in xenophobia but in a desire to protect the territory's future. As a remedy, Rosan reiterated support for a roll-over policy for expatriate permits — a measure that would prevent non-nationals from accumulating continuous years that count toward permanent residency and eventual citizenship.
Such a policy would require legislative or administrative action and clear enforcement mechanisms. Rosan’s comments add a prominent voice to an ongoing, often heated public debate in the BVI about balancing economic development, labour needs and protection of public services and cultural identity.
Her critique is likely to prompt responses from policymakers and stakeholders as the territory continues to consider how best to manage migration, border controls and the capacity of core public services.
Primary source: BVI News