The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

FORMER State Minister for Immigration Branville McCartney yesterday commended the government for “finally taking seriously its responsibility to protect our borders” by clamping down on illegal migration and imposing new immigration restrictions.

In a press statement Mr McCartney, leader of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA), applauded the Christie led administration for taking “the first of what will undoubtedly be a series of difficult steps to securing sustainability for future generations of Bahamians.”

Restrictions

Mr McCartney’s statements came two days after Department of Immigration officials picked up 77 people – including Chinese, Filipinos, Jamaican and Haitians – from various areas of New Providence the day the government’s new immigration restrictions took effect.

However, Mr McCartney said while Haitian migrants continue to make up a large segment of the country’s illegal immigrant population, Haitians should not be the sole target of immigration officials.

“With that in mind the DNA calls for balance on the part of officials as they work to weed out persons of all nationalities living and working in the Bahamas illegally,” he said. “As these efforts continue, the DNA calls for calm from Bahamian citizens and legal residents as immigration officials work to carry out their duties as mandated by law. We should all refrain from making derogatory and/or negative comments about any group of people on social media or any other forum, but must work along with the government to ensure the success of these new initiatives.”

Mr McCartney also called on the government to arrest and charge persons, Bahamian or not, who harbour and hire illegal migrants.

“As part of its push, this government must also focus on a bi-partisan approach to formulating a clear and concise immigration policy. A policy which targets not only illegals but those who harbour, aid and abet them as well. As an addition to the current policy changes, the DNA recommends that the government go a step further by enacting legislation which would bring about the swift prosecution to those Bahamians found harbouring those here illegally. The law must also hold repercussions for legal residents who also harbour illegals, including the possible revocation of their legal status,” he said.

Passports

“As Bahamians, we can no longer abdicate responsibility for the role successive administrations have played in allowing this matter to grow and intensify. We must not pretend that systemic corruption within the Department of Immigration which has manifested in the sale of passports and travel documents, the bribery of immigration officers, the over-charging of applicants and the general exploitation of the current system, has not also contributed to the critical situation which now exists.”

Mr McCartney said the DNA will hold a press conference on Thursday when the party will present a full position on the current immigration policies and changes it thinks needs to be made to immigration laws as well.