NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday advised the general public that following the required consultations, the diplomatic and consular staff of the Embassy of The Bahamas in Port-au-Prince have returned to the Haitian capital and have resumed their normal diplomatic functions and consular services.
The Ministry said it will continue to monitor developments on the ground and keep the general public informed of the same, accordingly.
The reopening comes on the heels of ongoing political unrest and violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti last week, which led the government to temporarily cease all deportations and recall all diplomatic and consular staff.
As of yesterday, it was not clear if deportations had resumed, but some 59 Haitians who appeared in court earlier this week on charges of illegal entry, were ordered to be deported.
Meanwhile, Louby Georges, founder of the ‘Kreyole Connect’ organization weighed in yesterday on the temporary halt in deportation of Haitian migrants.
Georges told Eyewitness News Online that he applauds the government’s decision to cease deportations until the embattled country regains stability.
“Kudos to the government for taking such a step,” Georges said. “It shows that they are engaging and having conversations with the Haitian Embassy and are keeping up with what is happening.”
Georges also expressed that it was important to have the Bahamian Embassy in Haiti open to assist persons during the unrest.
The Kreyole Connection founder said that a lot of people are unaware that part of the [deportation] process involves persons at the Bahamian embassy in Haiti going to the international airport in Port-Au Prince when deportees arrive from The Bahamas.
And despite the temporary freeze on deportations, the courts have ordered the immediate deportation of Haitian nationals who pleaded guilty to illegal landing.
Also responding to this, Georges told Eyewitness News Online that this leaves one to wonder if the Department of Immigration had presented its statement of the temporary halt of deportations to the court.
Dr. Jean Paul Charles, President of the Haitian Pastors League on Wednesday expressed that
he and other pastors did not have much to say about the recent political unrest in Haiti, but they can all agree that things are shifting for the better.
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