Pay and Be Quiet
Clergyman and talk show host Claude Skelton Cline has defended the recent rise in Belonger certificate fees from $500 to $2,500, saying the increase is reasonable after decades without adjustment. The Department of Immigration made the change as part of a review of outdated fees, while some residents worry the hike could deter applicants.
Claude Skelton Cline, a local clergyman and talk show host, has publicly defended the government’s decision to raise the fee for Belonger certificates, telling potential applicants they should “just go pay the fee and be quiet.” The Department of Immigration announced revised fees in September, increasing the cost for adult Belonger certificates from $500 to $2,500 as part of a broader review of long-standing, outdated government fees across departments.
Skelton Cline argued the increase was overdue and administratively responsible. “These fees have been the same for at least two decades,” he said, adding that leaving fees untouched for so long was “a fault of ours administratively.” He maintained that the privileges attached to belongership — freedom from labour and immigration control, the right to purchase land and obtain trade licences — more than justify the updated charge. “You are going to be free from the control of labour, immigration.
You have a right to purchase land, get trade licences. You cannot be complaining about $2,500,” he said. He further dismissed suggestions the rise was intended to deter applicants: “Don’t tell me you can’t afford it, because if you can’t afford it, then what are you talking about belonging?” Skelton Cline also urged government not to be swayed by public criticism. “Government, this whole notion that you are going to review fees—for God in heaven’s sake, go sit down, make some other decisions materially about things that need to happen in this country.
Stop monkeying around with this kind of stuff and don’t let folks throw you off your game,” he said. Reactions among residents have been mixed. Supporters say updating fees after decades is reasonable and helps modernise government finances. Critics warn the increase could place an undue burden on lower-income applicants, delay family reunifications, and make it harder for long-term residents to formalise their status.
Some community members and advocacy groups have called for a phased approach, waivers for vulnerable applicants, or greater public consultation. The debate highlights broader tensions about cost, access and what belongership should mean in the Virgin Islands. With the fee now in effect, public discussion is likely to continue as residents, civil society and government weigh affordability against administrative and fiscal considerations.
Primary source: BVI News