The Tribune

IT IS welcome news that the deportation of illegal Haitian migrants is being resumed and that our country’s embassy staff have returned to their posts in Port-au-Prince. But, even though the civil unrest there has reportedly died down - at least for now - the latest violence should be a wake-up call for us in The Bahamas.

For years, under successive governments, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force has been intercepting on the high seas would-be migrants from the failed state of Haiti with its population of some 11 million. Most are then deported, and this tough policy has always been supported by the general public. But such action is only dealing with the symptoms of the problem without addressing the causes – and fresh doubts are now being expressed about the government’s grasp of the danger to our national security of the destabilising effects of a possible uncontrolled mass movement of people.

The issue has been brought to a head recently by the tragic large-scale loss of migrants off the coast of Abaco together with the rioting on the streets of our southern neighbour. This is the peak season for migration because of favourable winds but further mayhem there and increasing political and economic instability will almost certainly lead to more migration.

Some people downplay the potential dangers because existing levels remain containable, but a sudden major increase could result in disaster, with long-term consequences and implications that should concern us all.

Those who complacently maintain that our deportation procedure effectively keeps a lid on the problem should look no further than Europe where tens of thousands of people have been crossing the Mediterranean illegally from North Africa, either as refugees escaping persecution and seeking asylum or those simply looking for a better life because of poverty and deprivation in their own countries. By common consent, the resulting chaos has turned into a catastrophe.

As the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has a troubled history of foreign intervention, authoritarianism, dictatorship, repression, inequality and instability. Poor management of its natural resources such as deforestation together with the effects of natural disasters, including the 2010 earthquake in which more than 200,000 died, have also contributed to it becoming a failed state. Lacking an established democratic political infrastructure, it has been unable to govern itself and to function as a full member of the international community. To survive, it depends increasingly on international aid and remittances from the Haitian diaspora abroad.

It is clear that The Bahamas does not have the resources or capacity to deal with a sudden mass movement of Haitians to our shores. We would simply be swamped. We therefore believe that the time has come for the government to address, as a priority, the broader issue of how Haiti can be helped to bring about political and economic reform in order to achieve stability.

It is surely right to emphasise the importance of CARICOM involvement in assisting Haiti as a fellow member. But to secure any effective action it may be necessary to elevate the matter again to a higher international level - including the United Nations and the US.

Not only did the US occupy Haiti for 20 years in the past century, but later it remained closely involved politically, including the deposing of President Aristide, and has been its largest donor for many years.

Of CARICOM countries, The Bahamas is likely to be the most seriously affected by any mass Haitian migration. It should therefore be for us to take the lead in seeking new international measures to help this suffering nation. The UN Stabilisation Mission, which was withdrawn in 2017, had mixed results. But, in a deteriorating situation perhaps some other way – without the presence of large numbers of troops in a peacekeeping role -- can be found to place the country on a more even keel and to bring about meaningful political change and economic development.

At the very least, this issue should be re-examined urgently. The recent violence may have ceased temporarily but the cauldron of discontent will inevitably remain simmering. The threat to us is real so it is in our interests to press for further international action.