By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 18, 2024 — In the aftermath of the ruling by the London-based Privy Council in May of 2023 that all children born in The Bahamas out of wedlock to foreign women and Bahamian men are Bahamian citizens at birth, Bahamas Minister of Labour and Immigration Keith Bell said the government of The Bahamas may have to consider introducing DNA testing to confirm a child’s paternity to mitigate against fraud in granting citizenship to such persons.
“As it stands now, persons in those categories have to apply on their 18th birthday to the [Department of] Immigration to be naturalized,” Bell said at the time. “Given the Privy Council’s ruling, immigration would no longer play a role. That individual would then be able to now go directly to apply for a Bahamian passport.”
That declaration quite possibly may be the reason why Marcelo Zappi MD, director of Veritest Genetics, Inc. who began offering DNA testing services in New York since 2007 through laboratories that were accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), has announced that he is “in the process of engaging a state-of-the-art Laboratory in the Bahamas with a US – based, AABB – accredited DNA testing Laboratory, in the hopes of delivering a turnkey project whereby all stages from start to finish are resolved at a competitive price.”
“Residents of the Bahamas seeking citizenship, with the proper documentation, would proceed to the laboratory in the Bahamas to initiate the process,” Dr. Zappi said. “Their samples would then be collected using materials shipped by the laboratory in the US. The samples would then be shipped to the US for testing and the results shipped back to the Bahamas. Right now, I am fully focused on the completion of this project. We hope to launch it in the near future.”
“We plan to extend these services to the Bahamian diaspora across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the wider Caribbean and practically any corner of the globe. The idea is to enable these residents to complete the process without necessarily having to be physically present in the Bahamas.”
Marcelo Zappi, who lives in the Bronx, New York, has a multicultural background. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, of an Italian ethnic background, his family moved to West Berlin, Germany, where they lived for eight years before moving to the U.S. in 1968.
“We settled in the Bronx, New York, where I attended Middle and High Schools,” Dr. Zappi noted in a press release. “After high school, I pursued medical studies in Buenos Aires.Upon returning to the US, I became Board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and have been practicing Pathology in the New York area since 1991. I have worked at multiple hospitals, laboratories as well as one of the regional Medical Examiner’s offices.”
Dr. Zappi added, “I have always had an interest in genetics and the phenomenon of how sections of DNA that are found inside every human cell carry an inestimable amount of information that gets passed from one generation to the next. If one considers that the DNA of any two humans may be 99.6% to 99.9% identical, the significance becomes even more astonishing. The principal DNA tests are: Paternity, Maternity, Siblingship, Grandparentage and Avuncular. Another area is Deceased Paternity testing, using samples that were collected from the remains of the next of kin.”
Dr. Zappi said he began offering DNA testing services in 2007 “through laboratories that were accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB).”
“Since then, I have handled thousands of cases, including many immigration petitions from all over the world,” Dr. Zappi said. “As you are probably aware, immigration into the US is probably at its highest point and DNA testing to establish the biological relationship between sponsors and beneficiaries has become mandatory for many countries. This is a long, complicated and costly procedure, financed through huge sacrifices our clients make to gather the funds to meet all expenses. Unfortunately, in this atmosphere, many immigrants feel overwhelmed and are vulnerable to being taken advantage of.”
Continuing, he added, “In that sense, we provide a safe environment for them by guaranteeing the lowest possible prices, free of hidden fees and costs, and assistance in resolving most DNA testing – related issues, until all results are delivered. Our services are personalized, face to face and we strive to reassure our clients that we will stand by them until all tests are finalized and the reports delivered.
“Our many years of experience allows us to assist clients in resolving any testing – related issues, including tracking of kits sent to embassies abroad or writing letters to the different embassies in the event of unusual delays, with great success.
“Throughout the process, we are more than happy to answer all questions and will periodically check on the status of the procedure. We discovered that this helps to alleviate the stress of long waits. We are not satisfied unless the client is satisfied. This is manifested by the number of families who stop by and say hello to us months afterwards when their loved ones have arrived, not to mention the many referrals we receive through word of mouth.
“We have an excellent working relationship with the laboratory and they provide the fastest turnaround time possible. We have worked with many non-profit, voluntary organizations and charitable institutions dedicated to helping refugees and other vulnerable immigrants. These include Catholic Immigration Services, the NY Immigration Coalition, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, ANSOB Center for Refugees and many more. We also keep up with any changes in the protocols that are to be followed according to the country where the petitioner comes from.”
For any questions, Dr Zappi may be reached by email: (veritestdna@gmail.com) or Telephone : (347)742-1877
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