Fred Mitchell has called on the United Nations to help stem the tide of illegal immigrants from Haiti through economic aid.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs used part of his keynote address to the 60th session of the United Nations General Assembly yesterday to highlight The Bahamas’ growing problem with illegal migrants.
“Haiti is of major interest to us because in the circumstances of their economy and their national politics, The Bahamas and the region face increased pressure from illegal migration from Haiti and from the threat of instability,” said Mitchell.
Minister Mitchell’s comments highlight the depth of the illegal immigrant problem in The Bahamas.
Just Wednesday, the Defence Force nabbed 53 illegal Haitian immigrants on Ospray Cay in the Exuma chain.
Moreover, in recent months, government agencies have carried out massive “clean-up” operations in a bid to find and capture illegal immigrants in the country.
According to Minister of Immigration, Vincent Peet, the real number of Haitian immigrants in the country is unknown. However, unofficial estimates are as high as 60,000 out of a population of 300,000.
In His address, Minister Mitchell encouraged members of the United Nations to corporately give much needed aid to Haiti. “Haiti is our poorest member,” said Mitchell. “It is incumbent upon all of us in the United Nations to do all that we can to help resolve the issues there.”
In addition to immigration problems, Minister Mitchell also made reference to the destruction caused by hurricane Katrina. Mitchell urged the United Nations to consider undertaking global action to address the dangers of climate change.
“We have an opportunity, however, to address the adverse affects of the climate change. We have a chance to make a statement here during this session that we will not neglect our common but differentiated responsibility to protect our environment,” said Mitchell.
By: LaShonne Outten, Nassau Guardian Staff Reporter
