The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

DEMOCRATIC National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney does not expect the government to execute the recently announced immigration restrictions aimed at clamping down on illegal migration.

Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Mr McCartney said the government is “good at talking and making a lot of promises but their track record shows that they don’t execute”.

Directly addressing the proposals announced in Parliament by Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell last week, Mr McCartney said: “I would’ve thought when the minister was announcing these new proposals, he would’ve said ‘We would be enhancing what’s already in place.’

“One of the changes was to not accept applications for people who do not have legal status to work in the country,” he added. “If you’re here illegally that should already be the case.”

The former minister of state for immigration also questioned if the proposed plan for first-time work permit holders will extend the already protracted process.

Mr Mitchell announced last Wednesday that as of November 1, the government aims to have employers who are applying for first-time work permit holders who are residents of Haiti to come to the Department of Immigration and pay the $100 processing fee, provide a labour certificate, cover letter, stamp tax of $30 and the employee information sheet in Nassau.

Mr Mitchell said that information will be forwarded to the Embassy of the Bahamas in Port-au-Prince, Haiti where the applicant will fill out the application form and provide the supporting documents. The applicant must be certified as personally seen by an embassy officer in Port au Prince, he said.

“That’s fine,” Mr McCartney said. “The question is, how (much) longer will the application process take? Because the current application process takes months upon months. It’s long now and it will be much longer.”

Last week Mr Mitchell also announced the consideration of a ban on people who have previously entered the Bahamas illegally and have been deported from ever obtaining legal status.

He also revealed that as of November 1, the government will require all persons who live in the Bahamas to have a passport of the country of their nationality. He said those who have been born here will get a particular residence permit which will allow them to work and live here until such time as their status pursuant to any application under the terms of the Constitution is decided.

Mr McCartney said he was glad the minister and the government are acknowledging the country’s immigration woes. However, he questioned why little has been done to rectify the shanty town dilemma or prosecution of illegal immigrants.

“The minister previously stated last year, or a year before that, that a number of these immigrants are being protected by certain elites,” Mr McCartney said. “I’m wondering if indeed that is still his stance and how does that relate to this new policy?”