The Government rejects misleading claims being made by critics regarding the Gibraltarian Status Bill. The changes introduced are responsible, considered and align with current times. They are designed to protect the integrity of Gibraltarian Status and ensure that the rights and privileges associated with being Gibraltarian are preserved for those who have a genuine and continuing connection to Gibraltar — not simply because “a person had an unregistered grandmother who happened to be born in Gibraltar in 1924”. This circumstance has until now provided an avenue for someone, and their children, to obtain automatic red ID cards.

Individuals who have not lived in Gibraltar for many years have continued to claim benefits and entitlements meant for those who live and contribute to our community. Others have taken advantage to unfairly access public resources. The Government has a duty to act decisively.

The suggestion that these reforms will create a “lost generation” is simply wrong. The new requirements for registration are designed to bring clarity and certainty, not exclusion. No child who is genuinely entitled to Gibraltarian Status will lose that entitlement. The process ensures that all eligible children are properly recorded, enabling them to access their rights with greater certainty. It is a straightforward administrative measure that prevents confusion and strengthens the link between status and genuine residence. In 99.9% of cases, parents would register their child at birth and not after the age of 8. This is more about Section 9 and Section 5 of the Act — persons obtaining this status before this Bill after 10 years in Gibraltar and under Section 5, “by descent”.

It is important to recognise that past abuses of the residency and registration systems contributed significantly to the pressures we face today. The Government’s residency reforms are not reactionary; they are part of a carefully considered effort to protect fairness and to ensure that those who live, work and raise families in Gibraltar are not disadvantaged by others misusing the system, all while the new immigration Treaty framework is worked through.

The Gibraltarian Status Bill is about fairness, accountability and respect for our shared identity. It ensures that being a registered Gibraltarian remains a reflection of a real connection to our homeland, not an entitlement disconnected from our community or responsibilities. These are reforms that strengthen, not weaken, the social fabric of Gibraltar.

The Government also invites the Bill’s critics to look in detail at what is happening in relation to immigration in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world. Far more significant changes are happening elsewhere, all with the same mission — to protect their own systems from abuse and circumvention.

The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP, said:
“The Gibraltarian Status Bill represents a responsible and necessary step forward in modernising our laws to reflect today’s realities. Our duty as a Government is to ensure that Gibraltarian status remains meaningful and fair, that it reflects a true and continuing bond with Gibraltar. These reforms strike the right balance between protecting the rights of those who belong. I understand that change can be unsettling, but this legislation is guided by a simple principle: to preserve the integrity of what it means to be Gibraltarian, for this generation and the next.”

ENDS