LONDON, England – Bermuda’s Premier Dr. Ewart F. Brown chaired an Overseas Territory Consultative Council (OTCC) session Tuesday, October 28 on visa free travel for British Overseas Territory Countries’ (BOTC) passport holders.
The Premier made a presentation with the objective of alleviating what he described as a “disconnect throughout the European Union on how to handle Bermuda passport holders.”
Premier Brown said, “If Bermudians are British citizens their passports should be accepted anywhere in the European Union just as British passports are. Right now that is not the case. I think our citizens would be very pleased to have this discrepancy resolved.”
Other Overseas Territories (OT) have voiced a similar desire on this topic and Premier Brown has agreed to have the Government of Bermuda take the lead. Sen. Walton Brown has already begun work in this area including talks with former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Meg Munn and Head of Passports for the United Kingdom Patrick Owens.
Current Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Gillian Merron pledged to work with the OT leaders to advance the issue.
Meantime, Mr. Owens briefed the Overseas Territories of likely changes on tap for passport processing which include repatriating the printing of BOTC passports to the U.K. That means passports would no longer be printed in Overseas Territories, including Bermuda, if the change becomes reality. Processing times may be delayed. There would be mitigating measures devised for those needing to travel urgently.
Mr. Owens citied security concerns as the reason for the proposed change which would take effect in 2010 and said the decision-making for issuing passports would remain with the Overseas Territories. The United Kingdom has come under heavy public scrutiny in recent years for thousands of lost or potentially stolen passports which could end up in the hands of terrorists. The proposed change would require all U.K. passports be printed in one single facility.
The United Kingdom can enact the change on passport printing with or without the consent of the Overseas Territories’ leaders.
