The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

Tribune Staff Reporter

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said protocols concerning genetic testing for people entitled to citizenship following a landmark Privy Council ruling should be finalised soon, though he could not give a precise date for the roll-out.

The Privy Council affirmed in May that children born to Bahamian fathers are Bahamians at birth, regardless of their mother’s nationality.

While many such people have since obtained passports, those whose father is not identified on their birth certificate remain in limbo.

“Much work is being done behind the scenes to finalise the protocols associated with genetic testing for immigration purposes,” Dr Darville said yesterday.

“One of the things that the ministry is looking at is the ethical use of DNA for the determination of citizenship. We just want to make sure that we don’t break any major protocols.

“So we’re working very closely with the attorney general’s office around two main principles: one, the accreditation of the lab, and the whole business of sample taking and third-party presentations.

“So the meetings continue. We are making steady progress. We realise it’s something that needs to be resolved in the short term, but we want to make sure we do it right from the start so that there are no legal ramifications or backlash. We have to make sure things are done in order and in an ethical fashion.”

Dr Darville said protocols concerning DNA testing should be finalised after an upcoming meeting with the Office of the Attorney General.

“A couple weeks ago, I spoke about some of the potential red flags to ensure we have the sample, to ensure the lab is accredited, and to make sure that if there is a third-party collection, that particular third party is registered,” he said.

“So putting these protocols together is a bit technical, but we are working as fast as we possibly can to bring closure to this matter in the short term. So it’s not going to be lingering around much longer, but there’s still a little bit more work to be done for some of the concerns that we have drafted,.”

The Passport Office began accepting applications from many affected people on June 26, approving hundreds since then.