By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
IMMIGRATION Minister Brent Symonette said yesterday the government was still working out the details concerning Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ commitment to accommodate displaced students from Dominica.
Mr Symonette told The Tribune deliberations hinged on a needs assessment from Dominica, which would outline the number of affected students and their education level.
“We’re working on the process,” he said. “The prime minister of Dominica will have to make his recommendations, they will come up to us and they haven’t come up yet, so we’re in a state of limbo on that.
“We need to ascertain the numbers of persons involved, their level of education whether it’s primary or secondary school, the length of time they need to be here, etc.
“Once we work out that then we’ll be in a better position to advise the Bahamian people.”
On Sunday, Dr Minnis announced that the country will immediately mobilise resources to accommodate as many of the country’s students displaced by Hurricane Maria in the Bahamas.
Dr Minnis suggested the displaced students will be placed in both the public and private school systems, adding that it was the first step in a series of moves to provide aid to the devastated island nation.
He stressed that Dominica and other Caribbean nations were instrumental in the Bahamas’ development as a fledgling nation after gaining independence.
The move was met with scepticism on social media, with some taking to various platforms to give their opinion on the overcrowded education system, and existing immigration challenges while others appealed for empathy.
Meanwhile Senator Fred Mitchell, spokesman on foreign affairs for the Progressive Liberal Party, said he could not rush to judgment as all the details on the plan are not known.
“The devil is in the details,” the former minister of immigration and foreign affairs said on Monday. “The PLP was not consulted on national efforts to assist people in other nations on hurricane relief. The party is therefore not in a position to say anything about the prime minister’s plans for relief for citizens of Dominica. It is likely that the PLP will raise the matter when Parliament next meets so that we and the nation might know what the government’s full proposals are. Right now the country is in the dark on this matter.”
Hurricane Maria made landfall in Dominica as a massive category five storm on September 18, completely destroying communications, infrastructure and critical facilities.
That night, Dominica’s prime minister, in a Facebook post said even he had to be rescued from his official residence after the powerful storm ripped the roof off his home.
Less than two weeks before the storm’s passage, Hurricane Irma hit Ragged Island on September 8, packing 185mph winds and rendering the tiny island unlivable in its wake.
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 1 month ago
Rumours are circulating that the PM of Dominica would like for the Bahamas to accommodate up to 3,000 displaced students from Dominica. We simply do not have the resources to do this! Also, a good many of these students lost in hurricanes Irma and Maria their travel ID documents that Bahamas Immigration would ordinarily require, e.g. original passport, original or certified birth certificate, etc. etc. Without such documents, we could end up letting into our school system individuals who were illegal immigrant students in Dominica. It is worth pointing out that Dominica is one of those countries that puts a very low price tag on the sale of its own citizenship to foreigners as indicated in the excerpt below from Wikipedia. We need to tread very carefully here!
"The Commonwealth of Dominica offers an official and legally mandated economic citizenship to those seeking a valid second passport. The nationality law of Dominica authorises the government to waive the normal requirement of seven years of legal residence to acquire citizenship in exchange for a cash contribution. Total costs excluding all fees for a single applicant are US$100,000, with a discount for additional passports for spouses and children. Alternatively, since 2014, applicants can make a US$200,000 real estate investment, in which case the cost of citizenship is US$50,000. According to officials, the citizenship programme was an economic and fiscal "lifeline" in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Erika, and its new investment option had become the main source of Foreign Direct Investment into Dominica by early 2016. The Dominica passport holders can travel without a visa, or obtain a visa upon entry, to over 100 countries and territories, including the United Kingdom and the Schengen zone. Applying for Dominica citizenship requires interacting with official Government Approved Economic Citizenship Agents."
Emac 7 years, 1 month ago
"We simply do not have the resources to do this! " Sure we can! Where does the church stand on this matter??? Let's use these big empty churches throughout our community. The churches don't pay any taxes. They are morally obligated to help those in need. Other than that, let's stop fooling ourselves and the world by declaring our nation to be one of a Christian heritage.
aristocrat 7 years, 1 month ago
I applaud the government on this initiative to help our neighbours after this terrible storm. We must be our brother's keeper. That being said, we must make better provisions for those already living amongst us for their education. If they are illegal as it relates to their parents, we must send them back to the country their parents are from instead of allowing them to linger without a proper education. No matter their heritage, Haitian, Cuban, Jamaican etc, let's fix the status of those living with us also. Good luck in this initiative Mr. Prime Minister and God Bless our little nation.
TalRussell 7 years, 1 month ago
Comrades! Yep, move over PLP appoints, except Oswald Brown is still on the red shirts government's payroll? Just maybe, 'ACE' should watch his back?
Talk has it that when it came down to Dominica, that PM Minnis may have been availing himself to the advice of one Oswald Brown, who for the past four-plus years has been employed as the press, cultural affairs and information manager with The Bahamaland Embassy in Washington, DC
birdiestrachan 7 years, 1 month ago
It is good to help those in need. But the problem is doc mouth goes at 100 miles per hour while his brain is still in park. in other words, he does not think before he speaks.. He should have looked at the issues discuss the issues and then make his statement. I say again the Bahamas has it own Donald Trump.
Emac 7 years, 1 month ago
Yea, and Perry Christie mouth goes at 1000 miles per hour and spills out a bunch of shit. PG Christie speaks without thinking!
sheeprunner12 7 years, 1 month ago
Political friendship between these CARICOM leaders should not transfer into social dissonance of their citizens ........ This is a prime example ........ The PM made a rash decision without engaging the public agencies (Immigration & Education) that move at a glacier's pace ....... and he disregarded the social backlash that always lurks below the surface.
This is a good learning experience for our latest One Man Band PM.
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 1 month ago
Repost: Barely 5 months as PM and Minnis is already out-of-touch with the vast majority of Bahamians. This is what happens when you zip around town at 60 mph in a luxurious police chauffeured vehicle with police on motorbikes as an escort with sirens blaring as they dangerously force all other traffic off of the road. Yes indeed, Minnis is so enthralled by his new 'elitist' stature that he can't think straight. This no doubt explains his very poor judgement to date on numerous matters, including:
financial statement disclosures that has come and gone without any consequences
conflicts of interest with the businesses in his financial empire involved with shipping, trade and banking
stemming from his past directorship role at Baha Mar
Reality_Check 7 years, 1 month ago
You should have also mentioned those ridiculous diplomat abroad appointments.....like Sidney Collie to Washington D.C......now that's a real joke. Minnis should know that certain warped souls should be kept nearby given their propensity to cause much mischief and trouble in the most vulnerable of places, like D.C.. It's well known Sidney likes condo properties and has royally shafted many a condo association by not paying his monthly maintenance fees. Has anyone checked recently to see how much Collie owes in Real Property Taxes, etc.? Does he have any delinquent amounts owing to the bank of The Bahamas? This is one fella Minnis should not take his eye off of....sending Collie to D.C. is just one more major error in judgement by Minnis that will undoubtedly come back to haunt Minnis in a most serious way. Collie is Collie if you know what I mean....he just can't help himself!
BahamasForBahamians 7 years, 1 month ago
An interesting narrative we are watching here.
Is this to be the new norm?
Hubert will shoot off his mouth then 'work out details' later?
This does not appear to be in the best interest of The Bahamian people.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 1 month ago
I agree with you ......... This is Trump's MO ...... And the Immigration and Education Ministers have yet to present their plans for Minnis ..... the public service is a slow behemoth that doesnot respond to PM speeches
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