NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Immigration Director Kenturah Ferguson said there is no information supporting the claim that 150,000 Haitians live in The Bahamas.
She was asked yesterday to comment on the figure after Haiti’s Chargé d’Affaires to The Bahamas Anthony Brutus made the claim during an Office of the Prime Minister press conference on Friday.
Brutus was asked what efforts the Haitian Embassy is making to discourage illegal migration. This comes after a vessel capsized off Blackbeard’s Cay last week, killing 17 people.
Brutus, according to a translator, said the tragedy provides an opportunity.
“That’s why I said when those things happen there’s a reason,” he said.
“Speaking about immigration, Canada, the United States, there’s a way that they deal with it. At the embassy, we cannot discourage anyone but we can ask them to apply for a visa just like the United States is doing and Canada is doing.
“At that time the Bahamas government can select who can come in. That happens in every country around the world.
“The only way that we can discourage the Haitian nationals from traveling illegally is to open up a visa system for the public.
“The Haitians then can apply, the ones that get it, get it, the ones that are refused, are refused. That would be a better way for the Bahamas and Haiti to have a better relationship.
“It’s about an hour from the Bahamas to Haiti. There’s no way that Haitians can go to the Bahamas and where Bahamians can go to Haiti.
“There are a lot of Haitians that are traveling the goes to Cuba. They go to the US, They go to Santa Domingo. There are 150,000 Haitians here in the Bahamas. Around that number, there are persons that are here legally and about 20 plus years in this country. The persons that are here legally can have a better relationship with others that want to come here, they will be able to flow and apply for a visa and come into the country legally.”
Brutus’ comments come as a census takes place in the country to determine the population size and composition.
“I guess we have to wait for the census to see what’s happened,” Ferguson said.
“(That figure is) not according to the official records but we have to wait for the census.
“The last census did not reveal anything near that but we have to wait for this census to be completed.
“So unless he shares that with us, there’s no way to know without waiting for the census. Quite frankly, I don’t know if it was a misunderstanding of what was said or if it was actual fact. If he has it I guess we can ask him to share. You can perhaps ask him to share where the information came from.
The last census in 2010 noted that of the 351,461 people living in the country, 39,`44 were Haitians. Experts, however, noted that it can be difficult to account for undocumented people during a census.
In other words the Haitian Embassy is saying that Since we already have so many of Haitians here – just open the gates and allow them to come by giving them visas . As a concerned citizen I don’t think any sovereign country should be bullied into accepting persons who have defied our borders for years and now we should reward their behavior by making it easier for them to come . Something is wrong with that picture ?
First we must rest control of how
Many are illegally in our borders and clear that up before adding to that problem thru visas .
We as a sovereign country should not appear to be bullied into accepting a position especially if it is not in the best interest of the Bahamian citizens.
Illegal behavior should not be rewarded but discouraged .
AGREED!!!
Haiti has to many treasonous acts against the Bahamas border invasion is one. Do you see us Bahamians committing these crimes in Haiti???
If we as a country are not sure of the exact number of Haitians in our country whose to say he’s wrong about his figures.
The Bahamas cannot take on anymore illegal immigrants. We have people in our own country that need help.
You cannot compare the United States and Canada to the Bahamas , those countries are larger and they don’t have a Haitian problem by the boat load , they pick and choose who comes in there country , then they gave go visa to selective few , it’s a big difference when you have Murderous and Rapist in the country , don’t forget Haiti burn down there jail , so all of those illegal is now our problem . The Haitian gang is another problem in country we don’t need this in our back yard . As they come in illegally we need to send them back .
Plus United States and Canada has resources and fundings ,they put there own people first before another country. We have a stupid ass Haitian prime minister who is on video promising to give his Haitian people housing in our Bahamas and we have are own homeless and jobless people to deal with . Bahamas before choosing another prime minister don’t elect another Haitian again . This man is going to welcome all the illegal Haitians and before you know it it’s creole speaking only in this English country and it’s going to be over Populated with every Haitian women having 10 kids each and fulling up our hospital that Bahamians have to wait 10 hours or more to see a doctor .LORD HELP US You don’t see any other country welcoming them with open arms , they don’t want them . Because where ever they go they want to take over , they did the same thing in Dominican Republic they tried to take over so they put all of them out to the boarder and made them cross by into Haiti , there government was smart .