The Grand Bahama Human Rights Association (GBHRA) is lashing out at the Department of Immigration for the inconvenience being caused by a new policy in the Immigration Act, that requires permit applicants to be out of the country when the application is being considered.
In a statement released yesterday by GBHRA President Frederick Smith, he condemned the Immigration Department and Minister Shane Gibson for creating and imposing, what he described as an arbitrary, capricious and absurd policy.
“Our Association has received complaints from male and female spouses of Bahamians, foreign nationals applying to renew their permits and long time residents who have substantial financial, property and/or family connections to the Bahamas,” the statement read.
Smith claimed that the policy is being applied in a discriminatory fashion in that exceptions are being made for big businesses whilst the ordinary person is being discriminated against and abused in this fashion.
“This is not only absurd but it is also inhuman and degrading. It disrupts families; it disrupts people’s lives; it disrupts the functioning of businesses and it disrupts employment,” he said. “It subjects the applicants to untold costs, expenses and personal inconvenience.”
The GBHRA President furthered that policy is not law and the Immigration Act should be administered in accordance with what is contained in the Act, “and not what any new Minister may dream up as a “policy”, when he wakes up in the morning or is newly appointed.”
Smith said that anyone who is being subjected to “this abuse” should hire an attorney and sue the Government.
“Unless we are prepared, as a society, to challenge totalitarian and abusive behaviour then the dictators in Government will win and subject the people of the Bahamas and all of our guests to intimidation and unconstitutional terrorism,” he said.
All calls made to the Immigration Department yesterday to question or substantiate Smith’s claims went unanswered.
The human rights activist said that he is calling on Minister Gibson and the Government to behave sensibly and with some shred of humanitarian conscience to allow people to live their lives with dignity and self respect.
“Our Association calls upon Minister Gibson to stop his abuse,” he said. “We also remind the Minister that his behaviour will also have a very negative impact on foreign investment perception of The Bahamas.”
Smith further warned that foreign investors and guests will come to view The Bahamas as a racist, abusive, nationalistic and totalitarian country, where nobody has rights and everyone is subject to the whim of a Minister of Immigration who has final say on everybody’s life.
“Our Association cries shame on you Minister Gibson,” he said.
By ANGELO ARMBRISTER, Freeport News Reporter
