Common Declaration against the aspects of the new Immigration Act signed up by 20 organizations and more than 100 individuals

02.12.2022

Signed up COMMON DECLARATION released to the Press on 1 December 2022: 

The Common Declaration was launched jointly by FIVE SIGNATORIES on 9 November, the Confederation des Travailleurs des Secteurs Publique et Privé, All Workers’ Federation/Mauritius Labour Congress, Muvman Liberasyon Fam, LALIT and former President of the Republic, Cassam Uteem. 

Since then, there are 15 organizations and more than 100 individuals have joined the appeal and have signed up to the Declaration. (see list below)

All have adhered to this Common Declaration, see below, which contains a call on Government to revoke or amend the clauses concerned, and a call on opposition parties to include this issue on their campaign trails, and which also contains an expression of solidarity, meanwhile, with the Constitutional challenge that Lindsey Collen has placed before the Supreme Court, calling on judges to declare the offending clauses “void” for inconsistency with the Constitution of Mauritius. There are trade unions, women’s organizations, social organizations, and federations amongst the signatories.

Over 100 individuals have signed up, too (see list).  In these times of conversion to digital forms, some of these 114 signatories who have actually signed on paper,  others who have screen-shot their confirmation note on WhatsApp, Instagram or Messenger, and saved; and others still by e-mails that have  been saved!

Amongst the individuals, there are a number of former Ministers and also well-known writers and artists. Other people are well known in their neighbourhoods. Others still are women’s rights activists, environmental activists, gay rights activists, trade unionist activists and so on.

Signed up COMMON DECLARATION released to the Press on 1 December 2022: 

We, the undersigned, hereby declare,

1. That spouses of Mauritians must once again enjoy the right of residence, as was statuted for all spouses from 1983, following the successful challenge to the Immigration Act before the International Committee under the Convention on Political and Civil Rights, and that all families in future be protected from arbitrary decisions that separate family members from each other, 

2. That the Prime Minister must no longer have the power, ceded to him by the Immigration Act 2022, to strip a Mauritian citizen of his or her citizenship and banish them, a clause which reads that the Minister responsible for Home Affairs “may, in his absolute discretion and without giving any reason, deprive any person of his citizenship of Mauritius, if he has reliable information and is satisfied that it is in theinterest of defence, public safety or public order”. This clause produces immediate insecurity in thousands of Mauritian families, and potential insecurity in tens of thousands of Mauritian families,

and, 

we call on the Mauritian Government to introduce a new legal framework to resolve these two issues, 

and we call on all Opposition Parties to include this issue in their public campaigns, 

and we, meanwhile, express by our signature our support for the legal challenge that Lindsey Collen has filed in the Supreme Court calling on the judiciary to declare void those clauses of the Immigration Act 2022 and the amendment of the Mauritius Citizenship Act that it finds not to be consistent with the Constitution or with natural justice. 

ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE SIGNED

 Haniff Peerun for All Workers’ Federation/Mauritius Labour Congress

Jane Ragoo for Confederation des Travailleurs des Secteurs Publique et Privé

Rajni Lallah for Muvman Liberasyon Fam

Alain Ah Vee for LALIT

Annette Treebhoobun for PILS

Anushka Virahsawmy for Gender Links

Atma Shanto for Federation des Travailleurs Unis

Clency Bibi for General Workers Federation

Jocelin Louis for Rodrigues Private Industries And Allied Workers union

Judex Rampaul for Sindika Peser

Julienne Meunier for Rodrigues Government Employees Association

M. I.  Amiran for Government Services Employees Association  

Marie Antoinette Casimir for Rodrigues Workers Federation

Munsoo Kurrimbaccus  for  union of Private Secondary Education Employees

Norman Tambanivoul  for Dr Idrice Goomany Centre

Patrick Freyneau for Secondary And Preparatory School Teachers And Other Staff union

Rada Kistnasamy for Ledikasyon Pu Travayer

Rajshree Thylamay for All Worker Trade unions Federation 

Randheer Kumar Bundoo for Confederation of General Trade unions

Russid Golamaully for Senior and other Nursing Staff union

Sanjeeva Nastilly for Telecom Workers union [4-Dec-2022]

INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE SIGNED

Cassam Uteem Former President of the Republic

Aanas Ruhomaully

Adlutchmee Jumnoodoo

Alain Fanchon, writer

Ambiga Carpanen

Ananda Devi, writer

Ange Laval Yves

Annabelle Lauricourt

Anne-Marie Joly

Audrey Albert

Axelle Julie

Barlen Pyamootoo, writer

Benita Auckloo

Benjamin Koonja

Bernadette Cheung Haw Sing 

Beverley Appave

Baby Madou

Carl de Souza, writer

Christabelle Gray

Christèle Rene

Christiane Marie Michèle Latreille

Corine Fozou

Delphine Ahnee

Denis Michael Larhubarbe

Desirella Lebon

Dini Lallah

Dolly Antoine

Dumyuntee Kureemun

Elsa Wiehe

Emilie Wiehe

Emmanuel Richon

Franco Onno

Francois Julio Antonio

Gaetan Fevrier

Gary Homet

Gavin Poonoosamy

Harley Juste

Harold Perrine

Hema Calcutteea  

Hooben Toussaint

Iqbal Abdool Rahman

Jean Daniel Wong, Activist

Jean Doolub

Jean Eric Pascal Kamudu

Jean Guilliano Gray

Jean M Lahire

Jean-Yves Dick

Joel Nickel Lamoureux

Johnny Christ Nagamah

Joseph Duval

Judith Sabine

Kim Richards Lallah

Kimsy Foolchand

Krishna Topsy

Linda Prayag 

Louis Ange Brutus

Lovania Pertab

Luc Ashley Nibert

Mahboob Allybokus

Maria Desirella Sofia Azor-Ramchurn

Marie Anouchka Cindy Clelie

Marie Arianne Navarre-Marie, MP and former Minister of Women’s Rights.

Marie Danièle Le Merle

Marie Marlene Joseph

Marie Merline François

Marie Therese Joceline Minerve, former MP and Minister fo Social Security

Mariline Gray

Martine Desmarais

Melany Amboule

Mimose Bendaou

Nadia Peerun, Activist

Nanda Yagambrum

Nawsheen Raheemeea

Neerdesh Oozageer, educator

Nemita Daniel

Nirmala Toussaint

Nitish Joganah, artist engagé

Pamela Arnold

Pascal Ambroise

Patricia Day-Hookoomsing

Paulineta Onno

Philippe Malabar

Pierre Makair

Pouba Essoo

Preeta Chadee

Priya Hein, writer

Ragini Kistnasamy

Raj Julha

Rajendra K. Juggiah

Rama Poonoosamy, former Minister of Arts and Culture

Ricaud Gray

Roland Fozoo

Roma Gokool

Samantha Lajeune

Satyavani Ramen

Sazia Begum Khodabacksh

Serge Labiche

Shabeela Monasch

Sheila Bappoo,Former Minister of Women’s Rights, of Labour, of Social Security.

Sheila Bunwaree

Shenaz Patel, writer

Shirin Aumeeruddy-Cziffra, former Attorney-General and Minister of Women's Rights

Shyam Gokool

Shynee Seegobin

Solange Huang

Soufia Bham

Stivelle Castel

Sultana Begum Budulla-Moullan

Surekha Duval                                                                                        

Tania Haberland, Poet

Usha Rungoo

Vidula Nabasbsing, former MP.

Willelmine Vellin

Yaaser Abdool Rahman

[ updated 4 Dec 2022 ]