MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands weighs curbs on Argentine visitors after flag-waving incidents

MLA Michael Goss said the Assembly is examining what can legally be done, but insisted Argentina’s pressure is “just noise”

Amid a sharp rise in international attention on the South Atlantic and its energy resources, Falkland Islands residents have been angered by Argentine visitors seen waving Argentine flags and banners denying British sovereignty, prompting calls from members of the community to restrict such visits.

Argentine nationals can currently enter the Islands with a valid passport, proof of return travel, confirmed accommodation, health insurance and sufficient funds.

Michael Goss, a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), has addressed the issue. He said he is personally not opposed to restrictions, but that the matter ultimately comes down to what can be done legally. “So we can’t turn around and directly stop people coming in at this moment in time,” he said.

However, Goss confirmed the Assembly has already begun examining options. “At this moment in time, we have been looking, at the early points of this Assembly, [at] ways and means that we could actually look to potentially put a stop to things like this, but ultimately, again, it falls down into what we can do legally. But it also comes down to administration.”

He added: “We have got to make sure that we’re not going to be seeing more and more incidents of people who are, quote unquote, ‘visiting the Falkland Islands’ to further a political agenda — it’s not acceptable.”

Goss also said: “We’re hearing a lot of noise coming from Argentina. We’ve seen sparks of this at the UN when myself and Dom were away, and ultimately we knew then that there was going to be a lot more noise coming out.”

But he insisted: “We’re not shaken by it, we’ve grown. We are strong, and we are going to continue to grow, and we are going to grow stronger from this, not weaker. So my ultimate closing statement on this is: it’s just noise, and we’re not going to let it get to us.”

Such incidents, which residents regard as attempts at intimidation, are not new to Islanders. They have recurred as President Javier Milei’s government has stepped up Argentina’s sovereignty claim, including legal action against companies exploring for oil near the Islands. In a 2013 referendum, 99.8% of Falklands voters chose to remain a British Overseas Territory.

Official guidance for visitors already exists. It reminds all tourists that many residents are still marked by the 1982 war, and it calls for prudence and asks visitors to avoid disruptive behavior.

It is complemented by a set of rules and recommendations agreed in 2019 with the Commission of Relatives of the Argentine Fallen in the South Atlantic Islands. These rules focus specifically on the Argentine Military Cemetery at Darwin, were drawn up with guidance from the International Committee of the Red Cross, and are available in English and Spanish.