According to officers, the operation that was conducted by the Immigration Department, led to the arrest of 113 Haitian immigrants in New Providence. Six men were eventually released after it was confirmed that they were in the country legally.
The migrants were reportedly picked up at bus stops in the Fire Trail Road, Cable Beach, Lyford Cay and Old Fort Bay areas.
They also reported that 19 undocumented migrants were picked up from Freeport last night and yesterday morning. They included 12 Haitian males, three Haitian females and four Jamaican females.
In the past week, authorities have repatriated 226 undocumented immigrants.
Meanwhile, this latest operation is the most recent in a series of high profile round-ups.
More than 200 immigrants, including women and children, were picked up in an early morning raid on May 30, when officers swooped down on several communities in central New Providence.
But 14 of the 201 immigrants had to be released, after proving that they were authorised to be in the country.
At the time, Assistant Director in the Department of Immigration, Weston Saunders said, the round-up happened between 2am and 6am that day in the areas around Wulff Road, Gold Alley, East Street, Fowler Street and Collins Avenue.
Mr Saunders explained that only Haitian and Jamaican nationals were apprehended in the department’s “Thunderstorm” operation.
He said there were 41 women, 106 men and 27 children who were Haitian nationals, in addition to six women, five men and two Jamaican children.
Mr Saunders added that as the department seeks to put a dent in illegal immigration, more random operations will be coming on stream.
Still, a young Haitian man with legal status in The Bahamas had claimed that his rights were violated, when he was rounded up in the May 30 immigration raid.
In an exclusive interview with The Nassau Guardian, the Oakes Field resident said he was on his way to work shortly after 6 am when his ordeal began.
“I just caught the bus and was going to work and about five minutes later, immigration was on East Street stopping every bus that passed,” said the 39-year-old, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “Two immigration officers asked for everyone who had papers. I showed her my passport and residence permit.”
Despite producing the documents, the Haitian national alleged he was taken off the public bus and carried to The Detention Centre.
He added that he was released shortly after 11 o’clock.
“I agree [with] them catching the people who are here illegally in this country,” he explained. “That’s normal, but if someone is legal in this country, they’re not supposed to get the same treatment as someone who is illegal.”
Immigration officials have not commented on the matter, but Immigration Minister Shane Gibson said recently, that the department was not breaking the law by arresting suspected illegal immigrants.
Mr Gibson pointed to Chapter 191 (section 9) of the Immigration Act, which gives officers the right, with “reasonable” cause, to arrest those suspected of being here illegally.
By: JASMIN BONIMY, The Nassau Guardian
