THE FUTURE OF CAYMAN STARTS NOW. HAVE YOUR SAY

There’s no question that the new Immigration Bill now out for public consultation ‘marks a decisive, crucial point in national policy’.

The consultation period, which started on October 17th, runs until November 14th.

This one-month period could very well lay the foundations for Cayman’s future socio-demographics. By that, we mean ‘who’s Caymanian’.

This is a once-in-a-generation chance to have your say about the type of Cayman you want and the type of Cayman you think we should have.

The current National Coalition For Caymanians (NCFC) government has taken this on as its flagship policy. It has far-reaching implications for every aspect of Cayman society. 

The government has based its platform on “the launch of sweeping immigration reforms designed to realign the system with the priorities of Caymanians, while preserving our competitiveness and social cohesion.”

But this goes beyond the government. This is about us. All of us.

That’s why it’s important for all of us to seriously consider the issues at stake and make our voices heard…calmly and reasonably.

The official statement that accompanies the publication of the draft Immigration Bill already speaks to the cross-party collaboration that we want to see reflected in our deliberations and scrutiny of this bill, because it’s about all of us.

It’s reassuring that Government and Opposition are on board with this.

“After decades in which work-permit rules and status pathways remained essentially unchanged despite demographic, economic, and infrastructure pressures, the 2025 government and opposition manifestos converged around the urgent need for change,” the statement says.

This really should have been a joint declaration.

Nonetheless, it suggests unity on possibly the most important issue of our times.

Although this could become an emotive issue, it cannot be allowed to descend into and become muddled in emotion.

Clear thinking is needed.

Pray on it if you need to.

There’s a lot to unpack and think through thoroughly. After all, it’s 37 clauses. A big and important document. In fact, so big and important that it cannot be left to politicians alone.

So let’s all play our part.

Cayman’s society and economy was built by our forebears, our forward thinkers and by people coming in to help out , many of whom have stayed and are proud to call Cayman home.

They too, have tapped into, and added to our unique and welcoming ‘Caymankind’ spirit.

But this cannot be a free-for-all. There must be controls. Above all, our Cayman culture and the rights of traditional and new-Caymanians must be upheld and respected, balanced with integration and assimilation and the constitutional rights of all citizens.

That’s just a gist of the seriousness of this process.

We at Caymanian Times, a proud reflection of the cosmopolitan Cayman umbrella under which we all live together, strongly urge that we all participate in this process.

From community groups, in schools, churches, clubs, district councils, professional associations, in the home, or just by yourself with your personal thoughts, we strongly urge that you take this seriously.

It’s said no man is an island. Well, Cayman is three islands with many persons from many places. We want it to remain ONE PEOPLE of many backgrounds.

As the hosts, we also want to make sure that our guests are welcome, but with proper systems in place, respected by our guests but ultimately in our interest.

So please, we encourage and implore, have your say in this important consultation as we all plan for the future of Cayman.