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By Lindsay Thompson
Bahamas Information Services
February 11th, 2005
Government to develop plan on migration
NASSAU, The Bahamas – The Government is anticipating a report from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) for the development of a technical cooperation plan for The Bahamas in the area of migration and border management.
Minister of Labour and Immigration the Hon Vincent Peet said the report is expected to be completed within the next two months, at which time Cabinet will study its recommendations for the implementation of a systematic repatriation exercise.
“The Government takes this illegal immigration problem seriously. Never before has there been a technical or sustained effort to count or identify the numbers,” Mr Peet said. “The Prime Minister believes very strongly that it can be done and it should be done and, therefore, the exercise to have that done has begun.”
An IOM consultant, Gerry Pascua, began his study on the immigration situation in The Bahamas in June, 2004, to develop a formula for identifying the number of illegal immigrants living in The Bahamas.
Subsequently, an Assessment Team of Technical Experts visited The Bahamas January 17-21. The team comprised experts from the United States Immigration and Naturalisation Services (INS), a retired Canadian passport official, and a current Canadian airport manager.
At a press conference on February 2, Minister Peet noted that the political instability and economic deprivation in Haiti is cause for great concern to The Bahamas.
“No other country in the region would benefit more from Haiti’s political stability and economic prosperity than The Bahamas,” he said.
With a population of more than seven-and-a-half million, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with an estimated 65 per cent of the population living in poverty. In 2001, Haiti’s per capita gross domestic product was $460, which placed it among the world’s poorest nations. As a result, the number of Haitians leaving their impoverished country to seek a better way of life is steadily increasing.
“But let me also say here that, there are increasing numbers of other nationalities illegally landing on our shores. Cubans, Jamaicans and Chinese immigrants are coming in increased numbers,” said Minister Peet.
He said the Ministry of Labour and Immigration has pledged its commitment to “stem the flow of illegal immigrants to The Bahamas.
The Minister said the coordinated efforts of the Department of Immigration Enforcement Unit, the Royal Bahamas Police and Defence Forces and the United States Cost Guard have revealed that during the period January 1 – 31, a total of 362 illegal immigrants have been apprehended, processed and taken to the Detention Centre.
Of that number, 293 were interdicted at sea and 69 on land. The apprehension exercise netted 328 Haitians, 22 Jamaicans and 12 other nationals on New Providence, Athol Island, Rose Island, Inagua, Highbourne Cay, and Long Cay off the Exuma Cays.
The Department of Immigration repatriated a total of 430 illegal immigrants during the period January 1-31. Of that number, 388 were Haitians, 31 Jamaicans, four Colombians, three Guyanese, three Americans and one Mongolian. The repatriation exercise cost The Bahamas Government $67,735.
As of February 2, the number of illegal immigrants at the Detention Centre was 46, including 29 Cubans, seven Haitians, two Jamaicans, two Dominicans, two Filipinos, two Sri Lankans, one Nigerian and one American.
Mr. Peet said the Ministry of Labour and Immigration is “firmly committed” to protecting the borders of The Bahamas and urged all concerned Bahamians and residents to unite in the effort.
In 2004, the Government spent $521, 000 repatriating 3,034 illegal immigrants, including 2,500 Haitians. An estimated $678,000 was spent on repatriation in 2003.
“It is important for the country to understand that immigration officers are on the job along with the other law enforcement officers, and that the Enforcement Unit of the Immigration Department, which needs to be increased in terms of staffing, is being reviewed now and that the efforts are ongoing to ensure that not only those who are interdicted are sent back to their homelands in a short as period a time as possible, but those who are here living illegally, residing illegally, are in fact being pursued in a systematic way by the Department of Immigration,” Minister Peet said.
The Minister dismissed the perception that the round up of illegal immigrants is a thing of the past.
“Just because something is not announced, and (is) not in the papers everyday does not mean it’s not being done. What we are now doing though is we are becoming more aggressive in that regard because we understand the public concern and we’ve always understood that, and we’ve undertaken that exercise from time to time, We would be more aggressive though in ensuring those who are illegally are identified and are repatriated, until we have in place the framework from the UN specialist body to give us the blueprint to count them and to deal with that afterwards,” he said.
The exercise by the IOM is no cost to The Bahamas, which is a member of the UN. Late last year, The Bahamas became the newest member of the IOM.
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