The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE Citizenship Committee has tentatively requested an increase in the number of applications it reviews during its meetings, according to Trade and Immigration Minister Brent Symonette.

The committee, which earlier this month met for the first time to review and submit several citizenship applications to Cabinet, is expected to reconvene this Thursday and continue its process to remediate the system’s backlog.

Mr Symonette said yesterday the committee has given the indication that it could, if necessary, review more applications during each of its meetings.

Mr Symonette said: “They have asked to increase the number of applications that will be put forward, so this meeting Thursday when they meet again, I don’t know how many applications they will consider.”

He continued: “Those (applications) are for people born in The Bahamas… and applied between the ages of 18 and 19 to be registered as citizens of The Bahamas. So those are persons with constitutional (rights).

“Once they catch up on the backlog of that, then they will be getting extra work,” he added.

The Minnis administration has not publicly presented the names of the committee’s members or given details related to their workload.

The committee was reportedly established to remove the minister from the application equation and encourage a more fluid process.

Once an application is reviewed by the body, it is passed on to the Cabinet for final approval.

The committee is expected to remain in place until June.