The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THERE will be no new immigration policies enacted to accommodate Dominicans citizens temporarily relocating to the Bahamas, according to Immigration Minister Brent Symonette who yesterday confirmed the government is considering various classifications of visas to facilitate the group.

Mr Symonette, who was a part of the government's delegation that travelled to Dominica on Monday, said his office was considering the issuance of "short-term visitor visas or other types" as means to permit the displaced Dominicans into the Bahamas.

In response to those who have suggested the government is not regularising persons with outstanding citizenship applications, Mr Symonette said his ministry approved more than 200 of these just last month.

Referring to the destruction he saw while on a tour of the affected areas in Dominica, Mr Symonette urged Bahamians still questioning the government's line of thinking to look at the wider issue.

The St Anne's MP suggested the modern-day Bahamas has never sustained the degree of devastation experienced in Dominica as a result of Hurricane Maria. He insisted the archipelagic make-up of the Bahamas has allowed for sections of the country to be up and running despite major destruction occurring in another part of the nation.

"You know, we are talking about an entire country in Dominica," Mr Symonette told reporters before heading into a Cabinet meeting. "Fortunately, whether we like to say it this way or not, while we had devastation in some parts of the Bahamas, we have other parts of the Bahamas that are up and running like (here in Nassau). Business is normal.

"Their whole country was affected. They still have in the dogs from Cuba looking for bodies to see if there are people still alive (in rubble).

"The death count they write, will probably go up another 10. So I think we have to be sympathetic. You know, people don't know if their aunty, cousin, sister, brother (or) child is alive. They are having to sniff those out with dogs and that is island wide, it is not one part."

Mr Symonette added: "I know there has been a lot of interest in the schools, as you heard the president of the Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) say last night (Monday), the schools are being used as housing centres similar to what we use (the New Providence Community Centre) for.

"So there are still a lot of persons in the schools seeking refuge. They are getting tents brought in, so they will hopefully be able to put people in tents and get them out of the schools.

"The education system, which again I think the BUT president alluded to, there is going to have to be some changes in the way they teach because obviously, there is no classrooms. They will be in tents, and so on and so forth."

The issue of Dominicans temporally relocating to the Bahamas in the wake of Hurricane Maria has generated wide and intense public discourse, with many Bahamians taking issue with the government's decision to offer aid.

Last week in Parliament, Free National Movement backbencher, Pineridge MP Rev Frederick McAlpine recommended that wealthy Cabinet ministers take money from their own pockets to contribute to the Dominica's restoration efforts, rather than give its citizens safe haven in the Bahamas.

He also recommended the government pay Bahamians to work in Dominica and help with restoration instead of allowing storm victims to temporarily relocate here, as he suggested they may never leave once they get used to a better standard of living.

His comments were since branded by some as xenophobic and racist.

However, in response Tuesday, Mr Symonette said while he respected the idea of persons sharing points of view, the Bahamas as a member of CARICOM, the United Nations and several other global organisations, is mandated to give aid where possible. The government is still awaiting a finalised list of Dominican residents interested in relocating to the Bahamas.

Mr Symonette said he expects Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis to have such a register "up and running" this week.

Process

He also said he was not concerned about backlash from foreigners living in the Bahamas, who are waiting out the regularisation process.

Mr Symonette clarified that Dominicans being aided fall into a separate category from non-Bahamians already in the Bahamas working their way through the system.

He said the government, like it did following Haiti's major earthquake in 2010, shifted its policies to assist Haitians already in the Bahamas.

He stated: "When Haiti had that tremendous earthquake years ago I was minister of immigration then. We suspended repatriation back to Haiti. We let persons out of the Detention Centre. So we have always tried with regard to nationals of countries that have had difficulties, to be able to deal with that issue."

He continued: "Now, if persons want to raise the issue that they have waited 20, 30, 40 years for citizenship; that is a different issue. The ministry is still going full speed ahead to try to regularise as many people as possible.

"Last month we did 225 citizenships alone and I can't remember how many permanent residents. I have had four or five, nearly every two weeks I swear in citizens that were either approved by myself of by (Former Immigration Minister Fred) Mitchell.

"And that swearing process is happening. We usually do 30 at a time, so it is an ongoing situation."

He also said: "We took down from citizens and friends of Dominicans $60,000 which was raised in a very short period of time. The last hurricane Dominica gave us $100,000; we have to bear all of this mind when reflecting on what Rev McAlpine had to say."

Dr Minnis, in addition to extending an invitation to Dominican students, has also pledged to send physicians to Dominica.