When they compile public sector statistics, how do they know if people are Caymanian? From what I have read, there is no central record, and being born here or having a Cayman passport means nothing.


Ask Auntie, CNS Local Life, Caymanian status

Auntie’s answer: This question came as a comment on a recent CNS story on the increasing number of public sector workers, which included a breakdown of how many are Caymanian. Your query actually touches on two distinct subjects: whether the civil service keeps records on which staff members are Caymanian and the relative importance of being born in Cayman and/or possessing a Cayman passport.

Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, as head of the civil service, addressed both issues, but I will start with your main question about knowing which employees are Caymanian. The quick answer is that the civil service does indeed keep records on this, hence the most recent annual government human resources report stating that more than 72% of public sector workers are Caymanian. If there were no records, this information would not be available.

Mr Manderson also detailed the process by which it is determined if someone is Caymanian. If a person was born in Cayman before 27 March 1997, he explained that they would be asked to show either their Cayman passport or a birth certificate. For anyone born after that date, they are requested to provide a Cayman birth certificate as well as the birth certificate of their Cayman parent.

If the person was not born in Cayman, then they need to provide a status letter from immigration (now Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman) or a certificate of Caymanian status.

Now, as to your opinion that being born in Cayman or having a Cayman passport “means nothing”, Mr Manderson had a lot to say. First of all, he explained that if someone is issued with a Cayman passport, it means they are a British Overseas Territories Citizen (BOTC). “Given the fact that Cayman is not an independent country and is a territory of the UK, our citizenship is governed by the British Nationality Act (BNA). Our local immigration laws define who is a Caymanian.”

He added that Cayman’s laws make it clear that anyone born here after 27 March 1977 must have at least one parent who was a Caymanian at the time of their birth for them to become Caymanian, as mentioned above. In that scenario, that person would also be a BOTC.

Mr Manderson then explained the most common way the BNA allows for acquisition of BOTC is when someone is resident in Cayman for more than five years and free from any immigration time restriction for one year.

“Those who qualify can apply to be naturalised as a BOTC and be issued a Cayman passport. This means that holders of permanent residence can also obtain a Cayman passport,” he said, and then added, “So I cannot agree with the statement that ‘being born here or having a Cayman passport means nothing’.”

I take his point since people who are granted permanent residency must live here for nine years and then wait an additional year to apply to be naturalised, after which they can be issued a BOTC passport. (Five years after that or once completing 15 years here, whichever comes first, then qualifies someone to apply for a grant of Caymanian status.) The process requires a commitment to Cayman and longevity, which is far from being a “nothing” accomplishment.

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