Falkland Islands status should not be confused with Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute.
Falkland Islands status is a legal status in the Falkland Islands (the Falklands form of belonger status) defined by section 22(5) of the Falkland Islands Constitution and the Falkland Islands Status Ordinance, 2007 and is considered to be the closest thing to citizenship that the Falkland Islands can grant.[1] [2] The Executive Council of the Falkland Islands considers applications for status four times a year in January, April, July and October and advises the Governor as to whether or not they may be granted.[3] If the application is unsuccessful, the applicant has the right to appeal to the Supreme Court of the Falkland Islands.
According to the 2012 census, a majority of those with Falkland Islands status are British citizens, with 11% coming from 58 other countries (including 18 Argentine nationals).[4]
Before the current Falkland Islands Constitution came into force on 1 January 2009, Falkland Islands Status was defined by the 1985 Constitution, under which a person was eligible for Falkland Islands Status if they were:
Under section 22(5) of the current Falkland Islands Constitution, a person is entitled to Falkland Islands status if they are:[5]
Since 2007, all new applicants for Falkland Islands Status, if their application is successful, must attend a status ceremony and make a pledge to the Falkland Islands, as follows:[1]
Ceremonies, which are presided over by the Governor of the Falkland Islands, normally take place within one month of approval of an application. The first ceremony took place on 17 August 2007.[3]