The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Deputy Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

A FORMER Cabinet minister yesterday branded as "nonsense" the government's self-imposed deadline of July 31 to evict shanty town residents in New Providence, adding the 2019 Abaco deadline also makes no sense, as people breaking the law should not be given preferential treatment.

Loftus Roker, former immigration minister under a previous Progressive Liberal Party administration, said he has no faith the government will find any success in the Nassau deadline, telling The Tribune it is hard to think otherwise when it appeared the December 31, 2017 deadline for all illegal immigrants to leave the country was not honoured.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis made this announcement last October in the House of Assembly. At the time he said those who did not adhere to this timeline would face aggressive pursuit and deportation. However, some observers have said as far as this is concerned, nothing outside of the ordinary has taken place.

Mr Roker further questioned whether the government was serious about immigration matters, pointing to The Pointe development in downtown Nassau and concerns that continue to linger about the mostly Chinese workforce at the project.

He claimed to have recently observed foreign workers painting and repairing the exterior of the British Colonial Hilton, tasks he said many Bahamians can do.

"First of all it's ridiculous you see," Mr Roker said when he was asked about the deadlines, which include a July 31, 2019 timeframe for Abaco evictions.

"The problem about us Bahamians (is) we only do things which seem to be convenient to us. If you break the law, you can't say I will let you break the law for the next six months. Your job is to stop me now. Not six months from now. What nonsense is that?

"What I am saying is can you imagine you are dealing with New Providence now and then a year from now you gonna deal with Abaco?

"What sense is that? Wherever illegal immigrants are - wherever they are in New Providence, it should be dealt with today, now, right now. Not next year or year after next."

He continued: "When my parents got old and they were not that well we built a house here in Nassau for them and they were living here, that (house) had all the conveniences and stuff. When they died nothing was happening, it was just closed up and we wanted to redo do it. I had to carry my land paper, my passport and all of that to BEC to get electricity back to the house.

"In these shanty towns, how the hell you get electricity? As a Bahamian, I had to prove I was Bahamian and had to show my land paper and every darn thing and they get electricity and they don't even own the land?

"The illegal immigrants were given until December 31 to leave, so what are you waiting for now?

"Listen, the Immigration Department is costing Bahamians millions a year to operate and their only reason is to ensure people coming in come in with the permission of the government and those who are here without permission are sent out, that's the only reason you need that.

"So all I say is, 'do your job'. Don't tell me I could steal for the next six months but at the end of the next six months you must stop stealing or else I will arrest you, what nonsense is that?"

Regarding The Pointe development, the Pindling-era politician said Bahamians needed employment and the project should have provided them with jobs.

"(At one point) the minister (Brent Symonette) didn't know the percentage of Bahamians and Chinese working at The Pointe. But what the hell is his job? It's his job to know."

He was referring to an April interview in which Mr Symonette, minister of immigration, conceded the government had no idea how many foreign workers were engaged on the project.

"They have to get permission from immigration to employ non-Bahamians, that's your job. What you getting paid for?"

"It means we are not keeping check on what is going on," he continued.

"I pass by British Colonial and I see Chinese painting and repairing British Colonial and you tell me you can't find a Bahamian who could paint? You can't tell me that jive. Bahamians need employment. Our first priority must be Bahamians and that they get employment before anybody else," Mr Roker said.

He is the latest to criticise the Minnis administration's handling of shanty towns.

On Tuesday, PLP Leader Philip "Brave" Davis said Labour Minister Dion Foulkes' admission that there will most likely be challenges finding rental properties in Abaco for evicted shanty town residents proves there is a lack of planning and vision by the government.

Mr Davis said when it comes to cracking down on shanty towns, the government has only sought to say the things Bahamians might want to hear without regard to actually carrying out the plan effectively.

On Saturday, Mr Foulkes told The Tribune with only few rentals available in Abaco, efforts could be complicated. He spoke shortly after the Shanty Town Action Task Force completed assessments on that island.