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Why Aren't More Black Women Exercising Their Right To A Second Passport?

Let’s talk about passports; specifically getting a second passport. For many British-born people with multiple heritages, or who might have parents or grandparents that weren’t born in the UK, dual nationality is still an option. The most recent data shows more than half a million British citizens are holders of two passports. If you’re a traveller, it can double your international opportunities, giving you the choice to live, work or even invest in another economy.  

Born and raised, I’m a Brit. My biological parents were both born in Jamaica, although I was adopted by a British family when I was a toddler. When filling out forms I tick the ‘Black British’ box, if there is one. I only have one passport, my British one, and never really thought about getting another one until I reconnected with my birth family when I was in my early twenties.

Aside from the excitement of discovering I had countless brothers and sisters, I was overwhelmed that I now had an opportunity to know my Jamaican heritage. I’m a traveller – regular adventures abroad are just a part of my life. But getting my Jamaican passport offered more than just travel. I saw it as a way to legitimise my status as a second generation British Jamaican and a chance to have experiences, meet distant relatives and connect to “back a’ yaa’d”.