STATEMENT: The Bahamas Immigration Department wishes to address the public discourse currently circulating on social media concerning the approval of a Citizenship Certificate for Mr. Chris Tyrone Ferguson, recently convicted of murder.
In the interest of transparency, and to ensure that the Bahamian people are properly informed, the Department provides the following clarification regarding Mr. Ferguson’s immigration status.
According to the records of the Bahamas Immigration Department, in 2010, Mr. Ferguson, a Haitian national who alleged birth in The Bahamas, submitted an application for Bahamian citizenship. Following due consideration, his application received approval in principle by Cabinet, subject to the submission of additional required documentation. Those outstanding documentary requirements were not fulfilled.
The Department formally communicated to Mr. Ferguson that while his application had been approved in principle, completion of the process was contingent upon the submission of the requisite documentation, after which he would be scheduled to take the Oath of Allegiance.
To date, the necessary documentation has not been provided. As a result, Mr. Ferguson has not been scheduled for, nor has he undertaken, the Oath of Allegiance.
Accordingly, Mr. Ferguson was never sworn in as a citizen of The Bahamas.
The Department emphasizes that an approval in principle does not constitute the conferral of citizenship. Citizenship is granted only upon the full satisfaction of all statutory requirements, including the submission of all required documentation and the formal swearing of the Oath of Allegiance and grant of the Certificate of Naturalization or Registration.
The Government remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding the Constitution and the laws governing nationality and citizenship in The Bahamas.
