The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

BRANVILLE McCartney, DNA party leader, insists that the government’s new and strict immigration policy is completely misguided and simply will not work.

The former Immigration Minister said that while he understands what the Christie administration is attempting to accomplish, they have failed to realise that there are certain jobs most Bahamians refuse to do.

He also questioned the number of elected politicians with foreign workers employed at their residences.

The jobs he was referring to include maids, labourers, and housekeepers of which Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell has said work permits will be restricted.

“I think the position being taken by the government,” Mr McCartney said, “is not workable.

“Let’s be real about it. It would be good for all Bahamians to get jobs. But it’s what Bahamians want to do.

“In their charter, they talk about Bahamians being employers, (but) the policy the Immigration Minister is talking about, Bahamians are employees. To me, that looks like their job creation programme.”

The policy, Mr McCartney further highlighted, is not sensitive to the fact that it is extremely difficult to employ housekeepers of the same nationality in a country.

“You go to Jamaica you don’t find Jamaicans in the homes. You go to the Philippines you don’t find Filipinos in the homes. 

“Well think about it. If you live in a country, most likely you have your family and you are married.

“I had a lady call me up on a talk show the other day and said ‘McCartney I disagree with what you are saying. I will do anything and I was just let go from a particular hotel.

“I said would you be a live in housekeeper.

“She replied ‘No, no, no, I can’t do that. I have a husband.”

The Christie administration has come under a litany of scrutiny for its take on immigration, especially with the recent arrest of Atlantis’ head sea lion trainer.

Branded by local businesses as unacceptable, without warning, two uniformed men and another plainly clothed official marched into the water park through a back gate, found the American citizen in the middle of a guest interaction with sea lions, and demanded that she produce her passport. It was later found that the arrest was unwarranted and the woman was released.

Since then, Mr Mitchell has assured the public that the government will handle the question of illegal immigration in the country responsibly.