The Minister of Trade and Industry, the Hon. Leslie O. Miller has spoken for a large number of Bahamians who believe that the illegal immigration problem has been allowed to get out of hand. He says that he is convinced that the illegal Haitian migration dilemma is a ﾓticking time bombﾒ that may explode at any minute.
He also unburdens himself of this prophecy-style conviction: ﾓUnless we are able as a people to stem the flow of illegal immigrants in our country, The Bahamas as we know it today will be a totally different country in the next 20 years. There are no ifs or buts about that. [This would be] a country, Mr. Speaker, where they may have more say that you and I,ﾒ Minister Miller said.
He added,ﾓThe illegal immigration problem is ﾓfrighteningﾒ.
ﾓItﾴs almost a nightmare that is being perpetuated upon us and we cannot afford it. As good and as decent as Bahamians are, and we say that we are a Christian nation, we simply, Mr. Speaker, as a people can no longer afford the high amount of foreigners, illegal as they may be, that come to our shores on a daily basis,ﾒ Minister Miller said.
The Ministerﾴs comments came as ﾑnational dialogueﾴ on the issue continued to rage. It also came on the heels of a raid carried out by immigration authorities in New Providence, at which time around 181 illegal immigrants were picked up.
It is quite clear that much of what he is saying resonates with certain segments in Bahamian society.
This resonance may explain some of the ﾑwhy-nowsﾴ behind the recent raids and the more recent demand for the Government to come down hard on the ﾑundocumented.ﾴ
Something big is happening in todayﾴs Bahamas. This large thing involves the Governmentﾴs decision to deal forcefully, correctly, and legally with the myriad of issues surrounding the situation involving any number of undocumented migrants.
The underlying issue is simple enough: people who break the law should be dealt with. And truth be told, this is precisely where the simple part of the equation ends, and any number of challenges arise.
There are those Bahamians who cling to the view that ﾑthe law is the lawﾴ and say that it should be carried out without fear or favor. The problem with this view is that things are never so simple. Take for example, the sad situation involving thousands of so-called Haitian-Bahamians who are obliged to live in a legal twilight while bureaucrats and politicians dilly-dally in doing what they have to do ﾖwithin the ambit of the law- to resolve some of the legal challenges these people face on a daily basis.
And yet again, as most Bahamians in the know would surely know, there are any number of perfectly ﾑlegalﾴ stratagems which are used to provide status for thousands who fall under the wonderful sobriquet: My Haitian. Those who wish to employ this kind of labor often go to extreme lengths to get Their Haitian straight.
Furthermore, this business of getting people ﾑstraightﾴ now involves actions by some who were previously some of the most witting accomplices in this process. For example, men who have gotten ﾑstraightﾴ routinely provide the same facilities for wives, children, and other family members. All of this takes place in the ambit and four corners of the law.
There is currently no legal force in this country, which can ﾖwith any legal justification-prevent family formation. And there is no legal formula, which can prevent contact between so-called illegals and the so-called natives.
Quite evidently, there is a very real challenge facing the Bahamian people and the government as efforts are mounted to resolve what is surely a most vexing issue.
Even as we say that The Government is surely within its rights to do everything it can-and must- to protect and defend this nationﾴs sovereignty, it must at all times remember that The Bahamas has always fancied itself as being imbued with a sense of Christian charity, and genuine love of neighbor. This means that Bahamians have always had a keen sense of what it means to provide assistance to the stranger in his gates.
By the same token, right-thinking Bahamians have always known and recognized that as a member in good standing of the United Nations, their country ﾖThe Commonwealth of The Bahamas- is duty bound to uphold certain laws and rules as they apply to refugees, children, and prisoners.
While the reference here is to international law, it is ﾑThe Lawﾴ nonetheless.
In the ultimate analysis, the Christie administration will be judged not only by what it does, but also by how it does what it thinks it must do.
Editorial, The Bahama Journal
11 February, 2005
