The Tribune

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell sent condolences to the government and people of Haiti on the deaths of 11 of their countrymen who drowned in waters off Abaco while trying to reach the United States.

The 11 Haitians drowned when their 25 ft vessel started to take on water around 8 o'clock Sunday night. They were a part of a group of 34 who, according to reports, were being smuggled into the United States.

"My concern is what do we do in the future on this. And that is why the conversation with the Haitian Ambassador is important. We have been saying that we need to, as countries, we need to get together and revive this joint commission that we had before to look over this issue because we need to stamp this out.

"It doesn't look good for the reputation of the country for this kind of death first of all, and then to be associated with smuggling. So I just want to encourage Bahamians to discourage this wherever possible and do all we can to stamp it out and stop it because it just is not good for the Bahamas," Mr Mitchell said.

Pointing out the punishments that the captains of such vessels could incur if arrested, Mr Mitchell said the government of the Bahamas should revisit the legislation with a view to ensuring that this practice is properly stamped out.

"I have agreed to look at the penalties as well and will initiate that discussion with my colleagues because clearly it can't be routine, this kind of loss of life. But I go back to this, the root cause is the poverty in Haiti and that is what is driving it to the wealth of the north in the United States. So we in the Bahamas, and the United States, together with Haiti have to work together to put a stop to this. And I think that you will see some initiatives coming in the next couple of months to try and deal with these kinds of things."

FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis added that his party regrets the loss of life in this accident, especially the young children who drowned attempting to make their way to the United States.

"We extend condolences to all the families and we want to advise Bahamians that they should desist from engaging in any type of illegal activity, if this was. And that individuals will continue to leave their shores for a better life - this is the nature of things as they are. But despite all of that, we are all God's children and we should still love, and protect, and try to assist each other as best we can. We regret what has happened and we hope that no other life is lost in the future. One life lost is one too many," he said.