Minister of Labour and Immigration Vincent Peet acknowledged while a guest on the radio Love 97 programme ﾓJones and Companyﾒ on Sunday that present immigration laws could mean that one day children born to illegal immigrants could outnumber the Bahamian born population.
The startling admission came in response to a question from the showﾴs host, Wendall Jones.
ﾓWouldnﾴt you agree, Minister, that Bahamians born in The Bahamas to Bahamian parents would very soon be in the minority in this country if this particular policy continues?ﾒ Mr. Jones asked, referring to the policy that allows the children born to illegal immigrants to apply for citizenship once they turn 18.
Minister Peet noted that, ﾓThe legal view is that clearly once someone applies in time and [he or she] was born in The Bahamas, is 18, has lived here [from birth]ﾅthen unless there is some national security issue, [he or she] would be regularized.ﾒ
Responding directly to Mr. Jonesﾴs question about Bahamians eventually being outnumbered, the Minister said, ﾓThat scenario could in fact take place because of the numbers of persons who are born to non-Bahamians.
ﾓOver time, the numbers will be very high and what you really have is this: in The Bahamas, we have to take stock of the reality of the fact that we are a country governed by laws, governed by the constitution and although those of us who are born Bahamian in terms of Bahamian parents, grand parents and the rest of it, will always have some difficulty with equating our citizenship with someone who was born to illegal immigrants and then becomes a citizenﾅonce you are a citizen, you are a citizen.ﾒ
Godfrey Eneas, the showﾴs co-host, noted that this scenario seems to be ﾓan unnatural phenomenon.ﾒ
ﾓI think that it is detrimental to the national good of a country where born citizens of that country could be outnumbered by naturalized citizens.ﾒ
Minister Peet responded: ﾓI donﾴt think we should go there now though. I think we are guestimating and we are creating, I think, in the public environment a type of debate which might not be necessary because the data doesnﾴt confirm what you say.ﾒ
But Mr. Eneas insisted that the data does confirm his point, adding that there is evidence to show that Haitians outnumber Bahamians in parts of Abaco.
ﾓThat is a prime model of what could be symptomatic of this whole country,ﾒ he said.
Minister Peet said the figures are being checked.
Mr. Jones took the line a questioning a step further, asserting that, ﾓThe Mud and Abaco and Pigeon Pea, those two settlements have more Haitian nationals in it than the entire Bahamian population on Abaco; that is a fact.ﾒ
Minister Peet acknowledged that the figures he has scene confirm that.
But he added, ﾓLetﾴs not stop there. Out of The Mud and Pigeon Pea, the question is how many of those are entitled to be Bahamian citizens?ﾒ
Mr. Jones said there are many Bahamians who would say that none of them should qualify.
Minister Peet, meanwhile, noted, that there is a Constitutional Review Commission that exist and Bahamians who wish to see immigration laws change should make their views none.
The Bahama Journal
21 February, 2005
