It is with great distress that I pen these words in your journal at this time. First because it involves direct oppression of my family members and my friends, and because there are other Bahamians who would want to express what I am about to convey to you but won’t because of negative repercussions which they may receive from the Bahamas government since it directly involves the Immigration Department.
As a native, I feel it is imperative that I bring to your attention and to the reading public at large the detestable way the Immigration Department is continuing to operate to date. Further, while I can appreciate the stance that the government has taken towards “illegal aliens” and the recent position in parliamentary legislation that such persons be sought after and repatriated to their countries of birth, there are, however, ways and means by which my government should civilly interdict, accost and repatriate all such persons.
On August 20, 2006 between the hours of 9 and 9.30 in the morning, my personal friends, while visiting this Bahamas, but specifically Freeport, were inadvertently and deliberately cut off by an unidentifiable white van while walking to Wendy’s for breakfast from their hotel. Let it be known that this incident occurred in front of the Rand Memorial Hospital on the Mall Drive in plain view of the driving public witnessing this horrific embarrassment. Suddenly, a man, clothed in a white polo shirt, jumped out of the vehicle while wiggling his finger, beckoning them to approach him, stating, “Come here!”
Suffice to say, they became afraid and stated, “We don’t have time for you.”
Not identifying himself verbally and/or otherwise while forcefully stating, “You gonna have time for me!” flashed what appeared to be a black wallet. He then proceeded to question my friends without any rational reason for doing so. After my friends were initially pressed by this man, the wife moved away fearing that they would be kidnapped.
In light of the various acts of terrorism worldwide, the Bahamas is not exempt from these acts. At this time the other man came out of the van and had handcuffs attached to his waistband. He was in an unidentifiable dark green outfit. He then declared that they were “Immigration officers.”
My friends were so visibly shaken because of the lack of professionalism, also seen in many other government offices here in Freeport, and the lack of proper government identification, especially seeing that they were forcibly engaged without any provocation.
The “Immigration officers” then began a barrage of questions:
“What’s your name? Where are you staying? When did you arrive? How, by air or sea?
“Where are you going? Where are your travel documents?”
While attempting to answer each question another question was asked. To validate that they were here legally, my friends then presented their travel documents they just happened to have on their person and their US passports. The “officers” visibly examined the documents and then returned them to my friends. He then said, “I’m sorry.”
Nevertheless, the trauma that was inflicted on my friends made them feel as if they would never again return to the Bahamas. Needless to say, this type of behaviour and unprofessionalism displayed by this arm of the Bahamas government is totally unacceptable and inhumane.
I am certain that my minister, the Honourable Shane Gibson, whose portfolio is Immigration and Labour, does not applaud this kind of behaviour from his personnel. While I agree with the position that the government has taken against illegal immigrants, it must be done with a greater degree of civility, order and professional integrity.
Otherwise it brings only disgrace to the Bahamas and the democracy for which it stands. I am certain that my friends’ story and apprehension by this department is not an isolated case. I believe that this is the “tip of the iceberg” of what really goes on in the Immigration Department and an example of the tactics used to manipulate persons, including tourists.
To further validate this letter to your journal, my friends have filled out the immigration card given to them upon arrival to the country stating their displeasure of how they were treated on this island.
PAUL THOMPSON Freeport,
Grand Bahama, August 22, 2006
