Magistrate Linda Vigill issued a stern warning to illegal immigrants on Wednesday while handing down two-year sentences to five of seven Haitian men who pleaded guilty to smuggling charges earlier this month.
The judge told the men, who were involved in two separate incidents, that they will serve as an example to other Haitians involved in the smuggling trade.
She said it was a pity that she was restrained by the Immigration Act because she would have handed down longer sentences.
Two of the men were discharged and were being held at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre until deportation.
The judge ordered that they be taken out of the courtroom immediately because she didnﾴt want the other men to influence them to come back illegally or give them ideas on how to smuggle immigrants.
Four of the men were sentenced for their involvement in attempting to ram a Defence Force vessel on February 9 while they were attempting to land 19 undocumented immigrants at Arawak Cay.
The captain of the vessel, Lubin Marc Perdieu, who resided in Grand Bahama for 21 years, was sentenced to two years in prison and was required to pay a fine of $5,000 or spend another year in prison.
Magistrate Virgill told the captain that his time in prison should have been extended because he resided in The Bahamas for many years and has paid back the country by bringing in illegal immigrants.
She said that the Bahamian people are fed up with the arrogance and disobedience of Haitians and she hopes they would be discouraged to flee to The Bahamas once they hear of the men who were sentenced for smuggling.
Samuel Labert and Dorle Jean Apredieu, who were two of the three crewmen on the Haitian vessel, were also sentenced to two years and were required to pay a $3,000 fine each or get another year added to their stay at Her Majestyﾴs Prison.
One of the discharged men, Louissant Louis, was the third crewmember on this particular boat.
Magistrate Virgill told Louissant that because of his age, 26, which is still relatively young, she would give him the opportunity to return to his country and spread the news that The Bahamas is not tolerating immigrants in the country.
ﾓTell the people in Haiti that it is not good to come to The Bahamas,ﾒ she said. ﾓThe Bahamas is fed up with arrogant, bold behaviour and total disregard for the laws of our country.ﾒ
She argued that Haitians have a larger mass of land closer to them than The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, but instead of fleeing to that country they are ﾓcrowdingﾒ The Bahamas.
Magistrate Virgill said that illegal Haitian immigrants are placing a great strain on The Bahamas government because it costs between $15 and $20 a day to feed each of them.
She noted that this excludes other expenses, like clothing and medical assistance, which are given to the illegal immigrants while they are detained at the Detention Centre.
In the other incident involving Haitian smuggling, Captain Paul Remy and one of his crewmembers, Mesidor Antoine, were sentenced to two years in prison.
Remy was required to pay a $5,000 fine and Antoine a $3,000 fine with an additional year for both men if the payments are not made.
Philogene Louide, 22, was discharged and sent with the same message given to the 26-year-old.
This smuggling incident took place on February 5 when the men attempted to land 28 illegal Haitian immigrants at Porgy Rock, off Inagua.
Both vessels used in smuggling incidents were confiscated and turned over to the Department of Immigration.
Bianca Symonette, The Bahama Journal
