The sloop that was found on the shoreline of Adelaide Village in this photograph posted to Facebook.
By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Deputy Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
Kirklyn Neely, head of the Immigration Department’s Enforcement Unit, yesterday warned anyone harbouring illegal migrants that they will feel the full brunt of the law once caught.
Up to press time, Mr Neely said officers were still unsuccessful in finding anyone believed to have been on board the large empty sloop discovered on the shoreline of Adelaide Beach last weekend.
According to the Immigration Act, the version amended in 2015, the fine for breaking this law is $10,000 or five years in prison or both.
Mr Neely also moved to dispel speculation that the boat could have been used for another purpose because immigration officers have yet to find any of the boat’s passengers despite continued sweeps throughout the country.
The sweeps, up to Friday, have led to the capture of 210 people for the week and included various nationalities among them Haitian, American, Colombian, Peruvian and Jamaican.
“Now it is important that Bahamians note for harbouring illegal immigrants the fine is a hefty $10,000 or five years imprisonment or both,” Mr Neely told The Tribune during an interview on Friday.
“This comes under Immigration Act section 47 (A) the amendment version, which was amended on May 5th 2015 giving us permission to charge anybody $10,000 or five years in prison or both.
“So we need to send a warning out to Bahamians or anyone harbouring that that’s what it is.”
Asked to comment on speculation that the sloop could have been used for another purpose outside of human smuggling, Mr Neely said: “Come on man, the boat wasn’t used for another purpose. Let’s do the math. Let’s dispel that.
“What we need to find is the people who are hiding these people.
“Ain’t no boat gonna just appear on a beach empty and have wet clothes on it and on the ground. Come on now.
“We need to find these people who are hiding and encouraging these people.”
He continued: “Information was given that these people are being moved from house to house in the night and the wee wee hours of the morning. So we need to dispel that. The boat brought in people.”
Mr Neely said there were 28 people apprehended on Monday, 57 Tuesday, 30 on Wednesday, 41 on Thursday and on Friday there were 35 people detained.
Immigration officers in Eleuthera also took into custody ten people while nine others were arrested in Abaco.
Asked whether these people will face charges in court, Mr Neely said on Thursday: “It’s difficult to march 175 people off to court. They will be taken to the Detention Centre and sent home.”
Fred Smith, QC, president of Rights Bahamas, has railed against this and accused the Minnis administration of violating the Constitution and the Criminal Procedure Code.
He called on the Minister of Immigration Brent Symonette and Immigration Director William Pratt to present all the recently detained people to the courts.
Mr Smith said for the people detained this week he planned to apply for habeas corpus or a writ requiring a person under arrest be brought before a judge or into court to secure the person’s release unless lawful grounds are shown for their detention.
Comments
TalRussell 7 years ago
Comrade Brent and his fellow colleagues serving as crown ministers. The anyone's harbouring Illegal Immigrants who first need feel da full brunt of law is red shirts business owners. Has there ever been a red business owned or fronted establishment who's business was raided by immigration offices for a breech of the immigration act? I hope Brent is not playing the fool likes someone red has ever been charged and convicted for employing an illegal... but oh no, don't you dare run afoul law to be caught giving an hungry illegal - a hot bowl soup.
John 7 years ago
Go in Lyford Cay and Old Fort Bay and prove you serious. You had a break down in your security system so now you want to take vengeance on the lowest level of the public. Common sense should dictate that if there were 250 (give or take) Haitians on that boat that got into the local community, at least one or two would have been uncovered by now. Maybe officers need to go into Albany since they heard people running through the night.
Reality_Check 7 years ago
You truly are a dunce @John. One of the first things Brent Symonette personally did on being appointed Minister of Immigration was expedite the approval of all permit applications that had been submitted by his many friends in gated communities like Lyford Cay, Old Fort and Albany. And the 'wealthier-than-you-people who live in those gated communities, and who you obviously envy so much, are most careful to ensure they dot their i's and cross their t's on such matters.
Emac 7 years ago
Yep, another reactive approach by the DOI. If this law was amended in 2015, why is it just now being enforced????? Are you telling me that no one has been harboring illegals for the past two years???
“Now it is important that Bahamians note for harbouring illegal immigrants the fine is a hefty $10,000 or five years imprisonment or both,”
Bahamians are not harboring illegals Mr. Neely. You know exactly who the perpetrators are. Go after them. It is the Haitians who sneak in this country and are rewarded with permits who then send all their money back to Haiti for other family members to come to the Bahamas. The department is quite aware of this. So get your heads out of your asses and stop pretending and deal with the problem. SMFH!
SP 7 years ago
Kirklyn Neely might consider closer collaboration with Marvin Dames on illegal immigrant intelligence gathering with known facilitators like Louby Georges and Fred Smith.
These two know all the player's in the illegal migrant business.
sheeprunner12 7 years ago
Kirk Neely has to work closely with Tellis Bethel and Anthony Ferguson
bogart 7 years ago
For all those illegals apprehended Mon 28, Tues 57, Wed30,Thurs 41 and Friday 35. When will the homeowners be charged $10,000 or given 5 yrs in jail or both?? - according to the Immigration Act section (A) amended May 5, 2015. Furthermore, who will be charged AND/OR JAILED If some have been squatting on govt land?? No one charged yet it seems for sheltering them according to the law.and some 175 caught.
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