Senator Fred Mitchell.
By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
WITH six more months to go in the fiscal year, repatriations conducted as of December 2014 have exhausted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration’s deportation budget.
Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell yesterday revealed that the Department of Immigration has spent around $1.7m to repatriate 4,628 foreign nationals in 2014.
The department’s initial allocation for the 2014/2015 fiscal year was $1.5 million.
“I want to say that the operations on immigration continue on a daily basis,” Mr Mitchell told the House of Assembly, “and in the end, it is only eternal vigilance that will protect us from being swamped.”
During his contribution to the mid-year budget debate, the Fox Hill MP released year-end statistics that indicate 40 per cent of Haitians apprehended during November and December 2014 – following the implementation of a stricter policy – were repatriated.
For the November 1 to December 31, 2014 period, 1,031 foreign nationals were apprehended, 895 of whom were Haitian.
However, repatriations for the same period include 357 Haitians, and 172 other nationals.
Officials apprehended a total of 5,841 foreign nationals in 2014, according to Mr Mitchell, who said 1,794 persons were interdicted by boat.
The total deportations for the year were 4,628 persons.
Mr Mitchell also yesterday called on detractors of the government’s immigration policy, namely lawyer and human rights activist Fred Smith, to declare whether they supported “enemies of the country”.
He charged that criticisms levelled by Mr Smith, QC, and other activists were not based in logic and sought to paint people engaged in a sophisticated criminal enterprise as victims.
Mr Mitchell again hit out at a “highly personal campaign” of outrageous claims against the Department of Immigration in an attempt to sully his reputation. He reiterated that accusations of “institutional terrorism, ethnic cleansing” and comparisons of the Detention Centre to a Nazi concentration camp, levied by the Grand Bahama Human Rights Association, should be withdrawn.
“The question is this, which must be put to them: whose side are you on?” Mr Mitchell asked.
“The side of Bahamians and our national patrimony (or) are you siding with enemies of the country who would undermine the country’s security and well-being?
“These activists like to portray this as some poor migrants who are simply trying to make a better life, but increasingly this is a portrait of a sophisticated smuggling operation which is big business and in the process is threatening to swamp our country.
“The question then to put to these activists given their hysteria, including the well-known QC who has said that these people should sue The Bahamas government en masse to bankrupt the government; the question is, are you working with these criminal enterprises to help swamp the country?”
He added: “People can accept reasonable and reasoned criticism, but when criticism goes completely overboard without a basis in logic then minds begin to wonder whether there are other bases for their criticism. I leave the matter there for the time being.”
Mr Mitchell explained that the annual revenue for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is about $13 million with an annual expenditure of $26 million.
He said that as of December 31, 2014, the revenue for the ministry was around $12.5 million dollars. Mr Mitchell noted that a large portion of the revenue consisted of the payment for the annual lease at AUTEC in Andros, which was paid in October at a little over $11 million per year.
He said for the first half of the fiscal year, personal emoluments and allowances totalled $5,251,488.00, and other charges, including fix charges, grants and special financial transactions amounted to $7, 031,034.
Mr Mitchell said that 46.9 per cent of the ministry’s budgeted $26,214,994 amount was spent as of December 31.
Pointing to the recent increases to visa costs, Mr Mitchell said consular fees for certification of documents were underpriced and under review as well as passport fees.
New border management control equipment will be introduced at the Lynden Pindling International Airport within the next six months, he said.
Comments
DEDDIE 9 years, 10 months ago
Like one of my posts said previously, the Ministry responsible for Immigration can't be serious about the so call new policy when the allocation for repatriation for 2014 is the same as 2013. Show me the money and I will show you government intentions.
Emac 9 years, 10 months ago
You did mention this!
watcher 9 years, 10 months ago
Surely we can find a few million in Fred's travel budget ?
BDN 9 years, 10 months ago
Exactly!!
realfreethinker 9 years, 10 months ago
How dumb can you be when you increase the round up of illegals in the country but cut your repatriation budget. What were you plan on doing with them once they were captured. These guys are good " DISTRACTIONS, SMOKE AND MIRRORS "
Publius 9 years, 10 months ago
The media keeps repeating this error about the budget for repatriations for this fiscal year. The budget for 2013/2014 was $1.5 million and in 2014/2015 it was cut by $700,000 to only $500,000.
duppyVAT 9 years, 10 months ago
The government is NEVER out of money!!!!! Thats a joke!!!!!!!!! Who is he fooling????? I agree that it will tell us how serious the PLP is about ridding the country of illegals.
Economist 9 years, 10 months ago
This is a big reason why we have an illegal immigrant problem.
While we are trying to find some money, let's not waste the time. This is an opportunity to spend the time developing a sustainable immigration policy.
Romrok 9 years, 10 months ago
Find more money. Government pissing away money on kickbacks all the time. They can find the money. Shut down these illegals.
ispeakthetruth 9 years, 10 months ago
Repatriation is perhaps the best excuse this department can give for going over budget. For the next fiscal year they can increase the budget to cover the prior period deficit and increase the current budget. There is no reason for repatriation to be slowed or stopped.
asiseeit 9 years, 10 months ago
How about starting to think outside the box (something Bahamians can not do). These illegals mainly come from one country and they get here by boat. Instead of flying them back on jet planes of about 150 at a time, send them back by boat, 500 a time. If a boat is good enough to get here, then a boat is good enough to go back on. Hire a freighter,put up some shade, give them food and water, and send them back. This is not inhumane, cruel, or or even indignant, it may take a little longer but that is about it.
ispeakthetruth 9 years, 10 months ago
That is actually a good idea. The journey back would still be ten times safer, and more humane, than the way many of them arrived.
duppyVAT 9 years, 10 months ago
That is why the PLP buying the big ro-ro boat!!!!!! Take us back to the days of the Eastore!!!!!!!!
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 10 months ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
bismark 9 years, 10 months ago
The Bahamas sovereignity as a country for full blooded Bahamians is at stake if we do not rid ourselves from these illegals among us,like the previous writer said,they came here by boat,send them back by boat,load up 600 of them and drop them off escorted by two RBDF Boats,who in the global community want to make noise the hell with them,it is our country and we are tired of being run over by people who think we owe them something and want to bring their bad habits and attitudes to this country,let them get out if they don't come here the right way and stay out.
asiseeit 9 years, 10 months ago
One other thing that may make sense is when a sloop is intercepted loaded with illegals, take them to Inagua. Why must they come to Nassau to then be sent back south? These boats should be intercepted down south as it is, both Dominican and Haitian come from the same island and are our biggest problem. The new Defense Force boats should be a rare sight around Nassau, they have little business up here.
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