Below follows a statement from Together Gibraltar regarding the Gibraltarian Status Bill:

The Government’s reckless changes to Gibraltarian Status risk creating a lost generation of young people cut off from their roots, their culture and their wider families. 

In 2023 Sir Joe Bossano estimated that less than half of Gibraltarians who study abroad return to work on the Rock. That means more and more of our young people are already being forced to build their lives abroad, in large part due to struggles with housing and job opportunities in Gibraltar. 

Under the new rules put forward by the government, parents must register their children before the age of 8 to ensure those children will have guaranteed access to university funding at the same time as their peers. Under current plans, If parents do not register their children by age 18, young people, through no fault of their own, will lose their right to Gibraltarian status completely. 

It is already hard enough for Gibraltarian families to return home. The two tier housing system makes it nearly impossible for many to access affordable accommodation. We know that many Gibraltarians abroad remain registered at their parents’ address to avoid being struck off the housing list. They feel they have no other choice because private rents are so high that returning home to raise a family would be impossible for many. We should never accept a system that encourages honest Gibraltarians to lie. 

Together Gibraltar believes in fairness, planning and respect. We call on the Government to reverse these kneejerk changes, to guarantee that children of Gibraltarians will not lose their rights because of arbitrary deadlines, and to address the housing crisis that already makes it near impossible for families to return.