ENGLERSTON MP Glenys Hanna Martin. (File photo)
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
ENGLERSTON MP Glenys Hanna Martin is concerned about rising tensions between Bahamians and Haitians following Hurricane Dorian, saying yesterday the government’s commentary on immigration matters has done nothing to ease the tensions.
Her statement came as police launched an investigation into an act of vandalism against the New Village Pub, a restaurant and sporting lounge on Balfour Avenue. The outside glass of the restaurant building was broken as if an object was thrown through it and graffiti was written in large letters on the outside walls that read: “You hate Haitians, we hate you 2 (sic).”
In recent weeks, the Minnis administration has escalated its rhetoric about the need for undocumented immigrants and those who lost their jobs in the storm to leave the country.
Officials have also said migrant storm victims do not have any protection from deportation.
Across social media, many have expressed negative sentiments concerning Haitians, particularly those displaced by the storm.
Mrs Hanna Martin said: “There is a video circulating on social media which purports to depict an act of vandalism accompanied by graffiti which speaks to hatred between the Bahamian and Haitian communities in this country. The building apparently vandalised is in the Englerston constituency. We must await the police report in this matter to ascertain reported facts. I am very concerned, however, at recent commentary on social media, much of going viral which signal growing tensions which appear to be taking on a momentum.
“The commentary from government officials have not helped to calm the tensions or encourage rational dialogue. In these official statements government has yet to articulate an immigration policy which the country expected after its extensive surveys in the shanty towns of Abaco more than a year ago involving several government ministers and its then findings of significant numbers of illegal immigrants in those communities. Its recent ad hoc comments about people in the hurricane shelters is confusing. As this atmosphere appears to be escalating to the detriment of us all, I call upon the Christian community, the Haitian Bahamian community and the government to step forward and immediately take leadership in diffusing what is seeming to be a serious atmosphere with potentially dangerous consequences. We must focus on the fact that our country is in a debilitated state where many have died and much has been lost. It has been a tragic catastrophe. This is not the time to fuel fear or hatred.”
Comments
Ton_Heijnmans 5 years, 1 month ago
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C2B 5 years, 1 month ago
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My2centz 5 years ago
So she's going to pretend this issue is new? What exactly is she suggesting..that the government not follow it's own laws? They, all governments, did that for decades and the problem doesn't go away. It actually builds up. I hope she is not seeking reelection, her kind of logic is whata wrong with Bahamian 'leaders'.
TheMadHatter 5 years ago
She dont have to fear reelection. Her constituency is more than half Haitian already - so she straight. This is a preview of the fate of the Bahamas.
Every nine months another 10,000 Haitians are born (you won't) find that in the records. But you will find it at the polls. How many Haitians habe gotten citizenship papers quietly since the last election? Do we know? Is there even a way to find out? Of course not. Shut ya mouth until time to ink ya fingah again.
TheMadHatter 5 years ago
...
BahamaPundit 5 years ago
So tired of Governments that allow problems to fester until it's too late and then blame the people as racist. The people want the law to be followed on immigration. The people do not want to become a minority in their own country. The people do not want to pay taxes for Haitians to use public schools and clinics. The people do not want unregulated shantytowns to fester and become dens of illegality. The people do not want Haitian gangsters roaming the streets. It has nothing at all to do with the Haitian people. It could be Germans, Russians, Chinese. Any nationality that immigrated illegally to The Bahamas in huge numbers would be feared and dispised. This is logic, not racism.
DDK 5 years ago
Spot on!
SP 5 years ago
@ BahamaPundit....Very, very, well said sir! Successive governments blatantly perpetrated and even encouraged illegal Haitians to invade our country by rewarding them financially with taxpayers' money without taxpayers' approval to the detriment of Bahamians.
Now that we face this dilemma orchestrated by them, these same double-talking, jack-leg, politicians are calling Bahamians racist and xenophobic for being patriotic because they themselves are also of Haitian origin!
The solution is to firstly identify the "cowardly hiding" politicians that created this mess in the first place and hold them accountable. Secondly, get rid of ALL the politicians and form two new parties devoid of ANYONE with Haitian origins.
There are no Haitian politicians with Bahamian origins and there shouldn't be any Bahamian politicians with Haitian origins!
TheMadHatter 5 years ago
It could be an educational problem. Maybe Haitians simply don't know that if you put the zuzu inside the hoohoo it cause baby to come out ? ? ?
DDK 5 years ago
Or maybe they DO know and it's part of the Grand Plan!
joeblow 5 years ago
The real problem here is that Haitians are not assimilated and have no intentions of conforming to the laws and culture of their "host" country. They have their own culture, language etc in a sovereign country WHILE taxpayers bear the cost of antenatal care, delivering and immunizing their babies, educating them in public schools and having them filter into government jobs and they think they have a right to violate the laws of this country because of their numbers! As a result the middle class is getting tired bearing the tax burden and the lower class is tired of competing with them for the scraps thrown out by government.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years ago
They don't come any more wicked or wretched than the loud mouthed Hanna-Martin. She's certainly left her stain on our country and it's not at all a pretty one. To see it, all you have to do is drive through Englerston!
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