00:00As the Senate debated a proposed amendment to the Constitution to provide for the acquisition of citizenship of persons born outside of Trinidad and Tobago,
00:10if the grandparent is or was a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago at the date of birth,
00:15Independent Senator Dr. Marley Nats raised a particular concern.
00:18With intensified deportations from the United States and elsewhere, grandchildren who qualify could arrive in significant numbers.
00:30The question is not whether they have the right, based on this amendment, they will, by law, but the question is whether we are ready.
00:41Do our schools have the capacity, do our clinics have staff, and do our housing markets have space to accommodate them?
00:51Readiness should not be an afterthought, Mr. President, but it should be central to our deliberations.
00:57Senator Atts recalled a point made by Sport and Youth Affairs Minister Philip Watts when he piloted the bill in the House of Representatives last week.
01:07Minister Watts highlighted the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup, the six CONCACAF slots, and the competitive advantage of early action.
01:18Senator Atts said she was encouraged by some of the assurances made by Minister Watts in the lower house and the parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Sport, Senator David Nakid, in the Senate.
01:41But, Mr. President, while Sport may be the immediate spark, citizenship reform ought not to be kicked about like a football, lest we score our own goal in the process.
01:56Senator Nakid, I do know a thing or two about football.
01:58The decisions we make here will shape our laws, our identity, and our economy for generations to come.
02:10Sport is important, yes, but it must sit within a larger national vision.
02:16The contribution marked the first time Senator Atts contributed to a debate in the Senate.
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