While admitting that there is less evidence today than in past years to support their concerns about marriages of convenience, two Immigration officials say the problem persists in the country as some foreigners would do whatever it takes to gain legal status in The Bahamas.
“This is an age old problem,” Minister of Labour and Immigration Shane Gibson said.
“It happens in about every Caribbean country, particularly when it is convenient for persons to do so, but it was even more of a problem in the mid-80s, early 90s.”
But he recognized that dealing with the problem is no easy task.
“Whenever that situation is brought to our attention we deal with it,” Minister Gibson said.
“However, the difficulty is how do you prove that a marriage is one of convenience? Individuals simply get married to remain in the country legally. It has been brought to our attention that it is happening in the Dominican Republic.”
Minister Gibson recounted a particular incident where according to him three to five Bahamians traveled to the Dominican Republic to get married the same day they applied for status for the Dominicans to enter The Bahamas.
Press Liaison Officer at the Department of Immigration, William Nottage, shared a similar story during an interview with The Bahama Journal on Wednesday.
He said an elderly foreign man recently married two young Bahamian girls.
“He came for an interview, certain things were pointed out and stressed to them. They were to go and bring back some other documents. They never came. They never showed up,” Mr. Nottage explained.
“But people are going to go out there and get married no matter what we do. Someone can pay someone to get married. This does not make the marriage any less legal. So that individual planning to get married again without getting a divorce from the first person has committed bigamy.”
Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister Leslie Miller recently drew attention to the issue.
At the time he claimed that hundreds of foreign fishermen are being married to Bahamian women, simply to “circle around” immigration laws.
Marrying a Bahamian gives a foreigner the right to work.
According to Minister Miller, in most cases, the men are from the Dominican Republic.
He added that in some instances, they are also already married.
Mr. Nottage said, “It is difficult to implement measures that would stop these unions from taking place, save being extremely vigilant during the interview processﾅThe interviewing officers need to do a bit of profiling; they need to look at body language.
“We also do a follow-up investigation as to where these people live. Sometimes you can tell by just looking around and tell that things were just hastily put together for a show and there are signs that people do obviously live together, but nothing is for sure. There are persons who have been granted resident spouse permits who are no longer together.”
Under some circumstances, the Department of Immigration can issue either a resident spouse permit or a general worker permit. The first is issued for a period of five years at a cost of $250. The other is issued at an annual cost of $650.
Both applications can be made after a marriage between a Bahamian and a foreigner.
However, in the case of a foreigner seeking a “regular” work permit, the price can increase to as much as $10,000 per year.
Mr. Nottage said officials also have to pay particular attention to those persons who attempt to use immigration to control their spouses, meaning some Bahamians threaten to call immigration authorities for their spouses after arguments.
“That really needs to stop,” he said. “Itﾒs not a practice that we like.”
By: Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
