The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FLORIDA House Representative Daphne Campbell is requesting the return of a man who she claimed was unlawfully deported from the Bahamas to Haiti three months ago.

Albury Wallace, 28, was arrested by immigration officials in Fresh Creek, Andros, in August. Even after supplying documentation of his identity and nationality, he was deported on December 17.

Ms Campbell, in a letter on March 24 to Immigration Director William Pratt, asked for Mr Wallace’s return to the Bahamas at the earliest possible time at the expense of the Immigration Department. 

“Your officer deported him unlawfully and unjustly and he has every legal right to be in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas because of his Bahamian citizenship granted to him by virtue of the Constitution of the Bahamas,” she wrote.

The letter was a follow-up to the January 5 letter written by the Florida Representative concerning the detainment of Noelle Joseph and the deportment of Mr Wallace.  

Ms Campbell commended Mr Pratt for resolving the immigration issue of Mr Joseph, who was released from the Detention Centre following her written complaint in January.

“For this, I want to commend you and to thank you on behalf of his family and myself. Secondly, I must remind you about Mr Albury Wallace, a Bahamian young man who was deported from the Bahamas in December, and is still in Haiti,” she wrote.

Ms Campbell said Mr Wallace had submitted all his original documents and $500 cash to an immigration officer, who had him deported afterwards.

She said Mr Wallace was born in the Bahamas and both his parents are Bahamian citizens. His father, Vince Wallace, is a born Bahamian and his mother, Lovana Charles-Wallace, is a naturalised Bahamian citizen by virtue of her marriage to her Bahamian husband.

Ms Campbell said Mr Wallace knows no one in Haiti and wants to return to the Bahamas but does not have his documents.

“I asked you to investigate the matter; however, I have not heard one word from you concerning this matter,” Ms Campbell wrote. “As a result Albury Wallace has been in Haiti for the last three months, unable to return to the Bahamas because your officer and your office deported him without all of his documents that was submitted to your Immigration Department.

“I can understand that as the Director of Immigration, you have so many matters to deal with. But this young man, who has a Bahamian father and mother, wants him back in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, where he was born.”

Ms Campbell said that Mr Wallace’s family had supplied original documents: birth certificate, clinic card, vaccination record, baptism certificate, travel documents,  Albury Wallace’s passport,  his mother’s passport and permanent residence certificate, her citizenship certificate, his father’s birth certificate and voter’s card, and four photographs of Albury Wallace from his early childhood when he was in pre-school, kindergarten, and $500 in cash.  

She wants Mr Wallace to be returned to the Bahamas, as well as all his documents and the cash paid on his behalf.

“Mr Pratt, I am appealing to you again, to please investigate this matter fully now because it seems that you have not had the opportunity to look into this case,” she wrote.   

She also supplied a telephone number at which Mr Wallace can be reached in Haiti so that Mr Pratt can make necessary arrangements for his return trip to the Bahamas.

“I understand that you have several flights travelling to Haiti to drop off deportees from the Bahamas; I suggest you make all arrangements for him to be returned on one of these Bahamas Air flights, which will save you the cost of the airfare. I look forward to hearing from you really soon concerning this urgent request,” she wrote.