Man stuck in Haiti since March: We have been damaged, neglected and abandoned
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — As the government seeks to arrange for permanent residents and citizens of The Bahamas who remain stuck in Haiti to return home, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell said the government is not minded to retain the existing travel ban on Haiti, but the matter remains under review.
Responding to questions from Eyewitness News on whether the ban will remain in place, Mitchell said: “We’ve discussed it, but you know, there’s just no action on it at the moment.
“It’s a real problem for Bahamians wanting to come home and we’re sympathetic about that issue, but there is just no decision on it yet.”
To bringing the Bahamian residents and citizens back to The Bahamas, Mitchell said: “Again, we were discussing that this morning because I personally am pushing very hard on this because the issue of discrimination is a very important one to me personally, but it sits within the whole [gamut] of the measures and so, it has to wait [for] the larger government’s decision.”
The original ban on Haiti in February was explained as a decision to block travelers for three weeks as the country celebrated carnival.
At the time, few countries in the region had begun vaccine campaigns.
Prior to the ban, The Bahamas had direct flights to Haiti.
Haiti was left behind in the global and regional campaign effort.
The Bahamas received its first tranche of vaccines in early March.
Haiti did not begin its vaccination campaign until July.
The nation, which has been faced with increasing political and economic strife, has yet to vaccinate more than one percent of its population, compared to The Bahamas, which has vaccinated over 30 percent of its population.
But Haiti is not alone with low vaccination rates in the region.
Jamaica, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines have less than 20 percent vaccination rates.
When asked if the government was minded to introduce restrictions or travel bans on these countries on the basis of their vaccination rates, though none have direct commercial flights to The Bahamas, Mitchell said: “I can’t say that. Our philosophical [stance] is against bans and all the rest of that.
“But you know, I can’t actually say what the position will be. We have to be guided by the science.”
Guy Cherubin, along with several other Bahamians and permanent residents of The Bahamas, has been stuck in Haiti since March 23, with his business and family in The Bahamas being strained.
He said he and several others are seeking legal advice.
“We have been damaged, neglected and abandoned,” he said.
“My daughter is not in school at this point because I cannot make payments.
“The bank canceled my card because my card was swiped by a vendor repeatedly in Haiti and was red-flagged.
“Think about it. I’ve lost two contracts and missed my daughter’s visit.
“We need to see the government. I’m not trying to make this political, but my family is affected.
“I lost my lease in The Bahamas. I know the government wants to protect its citizens; you remove the delegates at the embassy, which was important after the president’s death, but you removed certain people who were important, but you leave certain people.
“Bring us home.”
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