FORMER Immigration Minister Brent Symonette.
By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Immigration Minister Brent Symonette said foreign “significant others” of Bahamians should have similar access to work permits as do foreign spouses of citizens.
He said failing to do this contributes to the country’s brain drain problem.
The Immigration Act outlines how non-Bahamian spouses of citizens can legally reside in the Bahamas and work. The law does not grant such privileges to non-spouse partners of Bahamians.
Mr Symonette, the former deputy prime minister and MP for St Anne’s, addressed the matter at a Free National Movement (FNM) constituency association meeting in Mount Moriah on Tuesday night.
“We’re not gonna bring young ones back,” he said, noting some people do not want to get married.
“My two daughters have been living with their boyfriends for ten to 15 years. If they would have come back, the government doesn’t, our immigration policy doesn’t recognise significant others for work permits. They recognise husbands, they recognise wives, but not necessarily significant others.”
Mr Symonette said many young people meet their partners when they go away to school but they don’t return because their partners would find it difficult to work.
“We’re losing a lot of children and young adults to the states, to Canada, to wherever because we’re not advanced,” he said, noting recent discourse has focused on the citizenship rights of children of unwed Bahamian fathers.
Mr Symonette acknowledged that couples who broke up pose a challenge if significant others were to be recognised as deserving of work permits.
“How do we,” he said, “then send you home if you’re not Bahamian? That becomes a problem. So we have to develop parameters for that.”
The Privy Council recently upheld Chief Justice Ian Winder’s ruling that children born out of wedlock to Bahamian men are citizens at birth regardless of their mother’s nationality.
The Davis administration is leaning toward requiring genetic test results to prove paternity for people affected by the Privy Council’s ruling.
“This whole ruling is going to bring up a very big issue,” Mr Symonette said. “Can you force the man to do DNA? No.”
Comments
stillwaters 1 year, 7 months ago
My goodness!! So, because both your daughters shacking up with their men in the USA, we Bahamians should change our laws so they can bring their men here to work????????? What the............
User1234 1 year, 7 months ago
Did you read the article? His point is valid...Its a brain drain issue...you lose two educated Bahamians because they don't want to marry their partners. The law is the law and if that's what the people want then so be it. The brain drain is the unintended consequence, you have a choice!
stillwaters 1 year, 7 months ago
I read every word....say brain drain....good excuse to get his daughters what they want.
birdiestrachan 1 year, 7 months ago
Father's will do DNA if he wants to give citizen ship to their children , what Mr Symonette daughters are doing in Bahamian terms is Sweet hearting,
birdiestrachan 1 year, 7 months ago
Mr Symonette since you put your daughters business in the street do the daughters have children, in the Bahamas they call them basterds, whose last name do they carry I doubt you daughters are happy with you ,
TalRussell 1 year, 7 months ago
Welcome back Comrade former deputy prime minister Brent Symonette. --- Hope to see more of you iactive in the colony's political mix. --- --- No No Yes Yes?
LastManStanding 1 year, 7 months ago
Why don't we just get rid of border control entirely and let the whole country go up for grabs?
"Brain drain" is not being caused by our immigration policy, our "brain drain" is a result of 50+ years of governmental failure courtesy of the Plunder Loot and Pillage and Foreign National Movement administrations (plus the misguided notion that life is automatically going to be better for them overseas which many Bahamians seem to possess). Only a complete fool would believe this drivel.
TalRussell 1 year, 7 months ago
@Comrade LastManStanding, ... what if I told you that our colony's premiership heads CARICOM. --- Where everything you frettin' about is already there. ... But never talked of .... The free movement of skills/labour includes ... The right of a CARICOM national under Article 46 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas --- To seek work and/or engage in gainful employment in any of the participating CSME Member States, --- Without the need to obtain a work permit in the Member State in which he/she wishes to work. --- Maybe the former deputy prime minister, immigration minister Brent Symonette --- My care to join-in our conversation. --- No No Yes Yes?
LastManStanding 1 year, 7 months ago
Tal,
As far as I am aware we never signed on to the economic parts of CARICOM, and for very good reason. Our economy cannot support the natives much less thousands of more work permit holders functioning as scab labour. I for one am really sick and tired of work permits being given out for jobs that Bahamians can easily perform, I shit you not I know of a foreigner on a work permit for a local school teaching BAHAMIAN HISTORY. In my own industry I have to compete with Haitians trying to undercut me and American carpetbaggers trying to wedge their way in. Haitians need to go back and build up Haiti and Americans have 50+ states and territories that they can do business in, there really is no good reason for any of them to be here.
John 1 year, 7 months ago
Is this Brent’s cute way of saying’if your son is gay and he brings his significant other ( another dude) to The Bahamas, then that significant other should also be entitled to a work permit. Likewise for two females sharing the same pillow. Disney just canceled a $1 Billion project in Florida because the Governor of that state decided to put a cuff on Disney and restrict them from allowing alternative lifestyles ( transgender) to be taught to children under 7 years old.
BONEFISH 1 year, 7 months ago
This is a common sensical idea what former minister Symonette said.The Bahamas needs to eventually recognize common -law relationships. The Bahamas is far behind in its' social legislation The Bahamas is even behind other caribbean islands in this regard.
Even the children of the oligarchs in this country are unhappy in this country. Quite a number of them are now living aboard.
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