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Speaking to the diaspora in Toronto, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley renewed her pledge to open Barbadian citizenship to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Bajans abroad, a change still waiting to pass Parliament.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has renewed her promise to open Barbadian citizenship to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Bajans living overseas.
The message came in a video posted to her official X account, @miaamormottley, after a visit to Toronto this month. There she was the featured speaker at the Barbados Diamond Charity Ball, where 24 students received scholarships as the island marks 60 years of independence. The video carries the caption "Citizenship by descent to extend to great-grandchildren of Bajans."
"My friends, you crossed oceans and helped build nations," the Prime Minister writes in the post, addressing Barbadians abroad.
What the change would mean
Under current rules, only a child with at least one Barbados-born parent can claim citizenship by descent. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren are not eligible, according to the Barbados Consulate General in Toronto.
The Government's new citizenship legislation would widen that in two ways:
- Children born abroad could claim citizenship through a parent who is Barbadian by birth, descent or registration, not only by birth.
- Adult grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Barbadian citizens, born overseas, could register as citizens of Barbados directly.
"Roots run deepest"
Mottley first set out the plan when the Immigration and Citizenship Bills were laid before Parliament in August 2025.
"The first claim on Barbados must be those whose roots run deepest in our soil, and a great-grandchild is as important to a great-grandparent as their child and their grandchild," she said at the time.
She also ruled out selling passports, unlike several Caribbean neighbours that run citizenship-by-investment schemes. "We will not sell citizenship," she said. "Our passport… carries the value of who we are. It is not a commodity to be traded."
Nationals of CARICOM states are also set to receive preferential treatment under the new rules.
Where the law stands
The change is not yet law. The Bills were brought back after Parliament was dissolved for the February 2026 general election, in which Mottley's Barbados Labour Party won all 30 seats.
The Barbados Citizenship Bill, 2026 was given notice on 21 April 2026 and is listed by Parliament as still at the House of Assembly stage. With a full majority in the House, the Government is expected to have the votes to pass it. No date has been set.
Why it matters in the UK
For Britain's Barbadian community, the change could be significant. Many Bajans arrived in the UK during the Windrush era, and today their grandchildren and great-grandchildren are British-born, with no route to Barbadian citizenship under the current rules.
If the Bill passes, those descendants would be able to apply to register as citizens of Barbados and hold a Barbadian passport.
Jam Radio will report further details, including how to apply, once the legislation is passed.
