The Tribune

By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said yesterday that new radar technology could possibly help to combat the “issue” that is illegal migration into the country.

Speaking at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mr Mitchell said the country is “headed” towards procuring a new land-based radar which he explained, is better at locating ships.

“We’ve been trying for years to find out how is it that these boats can make their way up to the centre of the country without being spotted,” he said.

“As simple as it might seem - well why don’t you just put radar down in Inagua - you put (down) radar, which is land-based. It can spot the boats as they’re coming by.”

Mr Mitchell said the Bahamas has been operating air-radar to locate the boats, but now that this new technology is available, the country will take steps in finding out how to get it.

“What we’ve always had was air-based radar, not land-based radar and water-and-sea based radar, to spot these wooden ships,” he said. “It requires a particular technology and you have to buy the technology - they now say they have it. The Bahamas has to find out how you buy it or how you procure it, if that is going to be able to spot these ships.”

He continued: “What the experts are all saying is that 90 per cent of the people who set out from Hatiti are interdicted before they get here. What we see are the 10 percent and the 10 per cent creates an issue in the country because of its large numbers and so on and so forth.

“But what you don’t know is the success story of stopping the 90 per cent. So if they are correct and the 10 per cent are going to be stopped and we’re going to be able to plug up that hole by getting the technology and the equipment, then that’s what we’ll have to do and that’s where we’re headed.”