By Charo R. Walker
BlackFood News Reporter
THE OFFICIAL response of the Bahamian Government in Haiti’s time of need has been to publicly devise strategies to “apprehend” Haitians fleeing from a disaster – a 7.0 magnitude earthquake – that is beyond devastating.
Haitian masses have, since 2004, been persecuted by United Nations forces in Haiti (MINUSTAH) following the U.S. abduction of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. MINUSTAH has been aided by the international community – particularly the governments of the United States, Canada and France – in carrying out its relentless violent attacks against impoverished pro-Aristide communities. All the while, the Preval Administration has stood idly by and allowed thousands of pro-Aristide supporters to be illegally arrested and detained.
Recently, the Preval administration decided to deny the Lavalas movement – the most popular political party – entry into parliamentary elections; elections that were supposed to take place next month. Haitian people, however, continue to demand the restoration of their constitution and the return of democracy there. Sadly, their cries have been ignored by most national governments.
This week The Bahamas Government’s actions exposed the reason for its silence; it has an anti-human, racist policy toward Haitians in The Bahamas and in Haiti. Jack Thompson, Director of the Department of Immigration, in a press conference on Wednesday, spoke about plans to re-double efforts to ensure that any dinghies carrying Haitians were “apprehended” once they came near our shores.
He also spoke of efforts to do aerial surveillance to watch out for Haitian vessels carrying Haitian nationals and to set up a base in Inagua to stop Haitian nationals at our southernmost point of entry.
How could the government bring up “apprehension” at a time like this? More than that, why did Mr. Thompson feel the need to assure the Bahamian public that Immigration would do all they could to “protect” our borders? Did his pronouncement underscore the hatred that the public has for our neighbours to the south? And why did he not think that we would be offended by his insensitivity and outright racism?
The Bahamian Government has sat back and watched the persecution of Haitians in Haiti and has done little to help the situation. Our elected leaders have only been concerned with ensuring that Haitians fleeing political violence did not “flood” The Bahamas.
Now that Haiti has been rocked with a natural disaster that the Red Cross claims has affected some 3 million people, again, we are only concerned with “protecting” our borders.
Branville McCartney, Minister of State for Immigration, has “assured” us that Haitians who turn to The Bahamas for refuge won’t be sent back to Haiti. Instead, a refugee military state will be created in Inagua. Haitians will be forced to live there in make-shift tents under the watch of Immigration, Defence Force and Police Officers. How long will this last? Given the magnitude of the devastation in Haiti, for a very long time.
We cannot allow the Government to create this refugee military state. With glaring anti-Haitian sentiments at the highest levels of governance, persecution of Haitians and human rights abuses will, more than likely, occur.
In addition, Minister McCartney has said that Haitians imprisoned in the Carmichael Road Detention Center will not be repatriated to Haiti at this time. Again, given the severity of the devastation in Haiti, they may be imprisoned there for years.
It’s freedom time. Haitians, if they decide to come to The Bahamas during this time, should be allowed to stay and to work and to live and to play. Plain and simple. The entire Caribbean region should do the same. The entire world should do the same.
A new Haiti can only be re-born if Haitians are given the freedom to work toward building a new Haiti. And living indefinitely in a refugee military state in Inagua or in the Carmichael Road Dentention Center won’t enable them to do so.♦bf
January 15th, 2010 at 8:38 am
Last night the Prime Minister of The Bahamas made this announcement as it pertains to immigrants in the Carmichael Road Detention Center: Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham announced last night that as a result of the earthquake that leveled Haiti’s capital city of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, all the illegal Haitian migrants at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre will be released and given some sort of temporary residency status…There are currently 115 Haitian nationals being held at the Detention Centre, according to immigration officials, who also confirmed last night that 40 Haitian nationals have been released since Wednesday. “The Department of Immigration will release from the Detention Centre those Haitians who are currently there and give them some temporary status until such time as things have changed,” said Ingraham at a news conference at Free National Movement (FNM) headquarters last night. (From the Nassau Guardian)
January 15th, 2010 at 8:45 am
We now have to put demands on the government for specifics regarding the temporary residency status. How long will they be granted this status etc. This is also the time to say that we don’t want a refugee military state in Inagua.
January 17th, 2010 at 11:01 am
No one can guarantee or put a time limit on how long it will take for Haiti to get back on its feet. Considering the state that they were already in, decades. However, allowing them to come here is a humanitarian procedure. Inagua will be a holding place or living quarters allowing them to get assistance as papers are being prepared to be granted Temproary Status in The Bahamas.
This is a worldwide initiative. The fight for survival is imperative, and that is what I think they are trying to assist with. As Mr. Jack Thompson says, “Those who are in our care we have a duty and a responsibility to ensure their safety and their comfort and that is our mandate…”
Today it is Haiti, tomorrow…we never know.
January 17th, 2010 at 11:05 am
Caribbean islands prepare to take in Haitian refugees
NASSAU, Bahamas, January 15, 2010 – Several Caribbean nations are bracing for an influx of Haitians fleeing their earthquake-hit country, with some already preparing to house, clothe and feed them, whether they enter legally or not.
Some expect to see an increase in Haitians entering their countries as they seek an escape from the death and devastation brought on the already impoverished nation by Tuesday’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake.
In the Bahamas, Director of Immigration Jack Thompson has confirmed that a hold has been placed on the repatriation of Haitians who have entered the country illegally.
“We have no intentions of repatriating the Haitians at the Detention Centre at this time given the extent of the devastation in Haiti,” said Thompson.
In fact, on the morning after the earthquake, a flight that was scheduled to repatriate 72 Haitians was cancelled.
Officials say that Inagua, the closest of the Bahamas islands to Haiti, is likely to be the first affected by Haitians fleeing the devastation.
Thompson said the Immigration Department is therefore preparing to send tents, bedding, food and additional personnel to Inagua. Two Immigration Officers, 50 Defence Force Officers, eight police officers and a Red Cross team are stationed on the island.
“We are in the advanced stages of having Inagua in a state of readiness in the event we need to move in that direction,” he said.
Additionally, the Detention Centre in New Providence is being put “in a state of readiness” with tents, portable toilets, bedding and food.
“We want to be ready,” Thompson said. “We take this very seriously. We want to ensure that we are prepared and we are ready.”
Over in Jamaica, coastal surveillance for asylum seekers has begun offshore the parishes of Portland – one of the island’s nearest points to Haiti – and St Marys, and preparations have been put in place to “receive, screen and treat” those who come over.
Ministry of National Security Richard Reese also told the Jamaica Observer newspaper that a facility has already been identified to house Haitians likely to seek refuge here, although he did not disclose the location.
Additionally, Director of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Jamaica Wenford Henry said that organisation is also preparing to help Haitians who come to the island.
“Our members in Portland and St Thomas are mobilised, and we are making our facilities available just in case we need to house anybody and care for them,” he said.
Meantime, the Dominica government has announced that the stay of all Haitians already in the island will be automatically extended, regardless of their current status.
“We decided…that nationals of Haiti who are on island or whose stay may have already expired, or is soon to expire, or who may have arrived here in an irregular way without the proper documentation, that we will extend their stay for a further six months,” National Security and Immigration Minister Charles Savarin told a press conference yesterday.
“Nobody needs to be in hiding. Nobody needs to fail to contact their people overseas because they fear that if immigration were to find them that they would be sent home with nowhere to go because there is now no home in Haiti,” he added.
Countries across the region have been playing their part to help the disaster-struck Haiti since Tuesday’s quake, offering aid in various forms to their Caribbean brothers and sisters.
http://www.caribbean360.com/News/Caribbean/Stories/2010/01/15/NEWS0000010079.html
January 19th, 2010 at 11:24 am
There will be no military refugee state in Inagua. Those plans have been scrapped. An equally non-humanitarian move will be instituted by the Govt.
Prime Mnister’s comments:
“Any new Haitians coming to The Bahamas will be treated as they have been treated before — they will be apprehended by the Defence Force and detained by The Bahamas,” he told reporters yesterday.
“I now say that they will be taken before our courts and charged before our courts so we can lawfully hold them for longer periods of time than we had to up to now. That’s the extension in policy.
Also, the Hatians who have been released from the Detention Center…only 6 months release at this time; not certain whether they will be allowed to work.
Not all that humanitarian!!!!