A series of recent high-profile Immigration raids has received overwhelming public support in an exclusive street poll conducted by The Guardian.
More than 90 percent of the citizens surveyed said they agreed with the raids.
Reno Dean told The Guardian: “I am glad we have been having these raids because it’s the only way we can address the illegal immigration problem. It’s gotten out of hand and we need some way to counteract all of those illegals coming in. We need to get them back out of the country. How else are we supposed to do that if we don’t find them by having the raids?”
Others claimed the raids proved that the government is prepared to tackle the illegal immigration issue.
“I think that what the Immigration Department is doing is great because it shows that they are aware of the problem and even more importantly, they are doing something about it,” said college student Shantae Mackey. “By doing something about it they are saying to the Bahamian people that they are looking out for our best interests.”
Brent Knowles added that he hoped the Immigration Department continued to carry out the round-ups.
“This illegal immigration thing has been happening too long,” said the 42-year-old father of three. “It isn’t a problem any more, it’s a crisis because for decades each government has been ignoring the problem. And I hope Perry Christie and his party continue to allow the Immigration Department to do its job by picking up the ‘illegals’.”
Some even praised head of the Immigration Department Minister Shane Gibson for his ‘no nonsense’ approach to the immigration issue. “I think that Minister [of Immigration] Shane Gibson is doing a fantastic job,” said Barbara Smith. “He got more done in these past few months than some of these other Ministers got done in the years they held the post.”
Meanwhile some who were polled admitted that they disagreed with the way the Immigration Department handled the round-ups.
“I am no expert but I am sure that it’s not right morally or legally to go commando and frighten people out of their beds in the dead of the night,” said 28-year-old Justine Saunders. “Not only that, but I know of people who are here legally being picked up and held for hours. That was a great inconvenience for them.
Francis Taylor said: “I feel whether the raids are right or wrong I wouldn’t want it to happen to me. I would feel my rights were violated and I’m sure they would feel the same. They spent the time and money to get legalised and we shouldn’t treat them like criminals. They have a right to be here just like me or you.”
In June a young Haitian man with legal status in The Bahamas claimed that his rights were violated when he was rounded up in a high-profile immigration raid. He was a part of a group of 201 who were rounded-up in central New Providence that month.
Meanwhile just days after taking up the post last February, Minister Gibson let Bahamians and illegal immigrants living in the country know that he was ready to tackle the growing problem. In his first parliamentary address as immigration minister, he warned all illegal immigrants that there is “no place for them to hide in The Bahamas.” He also called for the “illegals” to leave the country voluntarily.
By: JASMIN BONAMY, The Nassau Guardian
