I am writing with respect to all children and young adults born here in The Bahamas to foreign parents. The Bahamas has always been a blessed country and even more so since its independence in 1973.
As we all know, this is now the twenty-first century and all around the world, no matter how small or large that country may be, once you were born there, you are automatically a citizen of that particular country.
No matter who your parents are, it is up to you to change whether you want to keep their status without being looked on as an illegal citizen.
It is only in The Bahamas, if I am not mistaken, where if you are born to foreign parents, you have to apply for citizenship.
In other countries, foreign parents are looked at different.
It is just like a Bahamian having a child with a foreign partner and the child is automatically seen as a citizen. I feel that if you are born here, then that is what you should be no matter what.
I don’t know why it has been that way in The Bahamas for so long. I feel like we as Bahamians need to stop and pick up the newspaper from time to time and read or watch television to see what is happening all around, and you will see the facts.
I am 33 years old and have residency in Florida with the same rights as any American, even though I am Bahamian.
I also have family members born in the United States by Bahamian parents that live here, and they would rather change their status from being U.S. citizens to become Bahamians, which I think is better.
Well, that’s besides what I am writing about. However, what I am trying to say is that someone needs to take this into consideration because I feel if you are born in a certain country, not just here, but anywhere in the world, then you should automatically become a citizen of that country.
You should not be called an alien because to my knowledge, God didn’t make any aliens, all of us are humans.
With respect, I hope that you will find some time to print this in your column.
Sincerely Yours, WELLINGTON MARTIN
