The Tribune

So much has been written recently about the treatment of Haitians post-Dorian that I hesitate to comment further. But criticism of the Government, both here at home as well as overseas, has been growing and this prompts me to address the issue again.

As most people are aware, the issue of illegal immigration from our populous neighbour to the south goes back a long way. In recent years, it appears to have been managed more or less effectively through interception of boats carrying those trying to enter the country illegally and deporting their passengers; though, doubtless, other boats will have succeeded in making landfall undetected and migrants will have worked their way up our island chain and, in some cases, beyond to Florida.

Thus, it has always been common knowledge that such a threat existed. What heightens that threat now is the serious deterioration of conditions in Haiti so that more people are likely to risk their lives in trying to reach The Bahamas – and it is no exaggeration that this has become a ticking time bomb, with more than ten million Haitians on our doorstep living in a lawless, failed state that, reportedly, is barely functioning.

This is truly the stuff of nightmares, particularly when one considers how uncontrolled immigration elsewhere in the world has created humanitarian problems on a daunting scale – notably, of course, people trying to reach Europe overland from Syria or across the Mediterranean from North Africa (and those with longer memories will recall the Vietnamese boat people in the 1970s and later). This has precipitated chaos and, of course, a terrible loss of life. Any sudden major increase of illegal migrants from Haiti in numbers not seen hitherto could likewise precipitate a similar disaster for The Bahamas, which would be simply swamped and unable to cope and this could develop into an international crisis.

One manifestation of illegal migration from Haiti was, of course, the shanty towns in Abaco. But it was understandable that successive governments fought shy of having them torn down in the face of criticism and opposition from various quarters. Now, their destruction by Hurricane Dorian has changed the situation fundamentally. The severity of Dorian and the terrible damage it inflicted hit the headlines in the international media. So The Bahamas was thrust into the limelight and it was inevitable that foreign donors contributing to the relief effort would become interested in the way the authorities handled the thousands of displaced people, many of whom were undocumented Haitians.

All this is well known, but I draw attention to it now in order to suggest that perhaps this is an opportunity to take the bull by the horns and re-examine the whole issue of Haitian immigration including a reassessment of long-held attitudes. This should cover the existing structure for stopping boats in our southern waters and the system of deportation. It would also be a good time to take a hard look at existing laws, including the status of Haitians already living here and, for example, the controversial requirement those born of Haitian parents to regularise their immigration status at the age of 18.

While working with CARICOM partners to assist Haiti as a fellow member, it may now be necessary to elevate the matter to another level politically by lobbying the UN and US to address what can be done by the international community to bring about political and economic reform in Haiti in order to achieve some sort of stability.

Not only did the US occupy Haiti for some 20 years in the last century, but later it remained closely involved politically - including allegedly playing a role in the deposing of President Aristide in 2004 - and it has been its largest donor for many years. The UN Stabilisation Force was withdrawn in 2017 after mixed results, but perhaps other ways can be found of trying to place Haiti back on to some sort of even keel.

Meanwhile, the immediate issue is how to deal with the criticism of the resumption of deportation of illegal Haitian migrants - including some who have lost their homes in the shanty towns – by bodies like the UN Refugee Agency, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IAHCR), Amnesty International and others. Presumably, all these will have been briefed by Rights Bahamas. In the modern, inter-connected world due weight has to be given to their views – and it should be important for The Bahamas to be seen to be treating migrants fairly, legally and humanely. But, at the same time, as a sovereign nation it must be able to make and enforce its own laws and to govern the country without outside interference. It is surely right, for example, to insist there should be no new construction permitted on the site of the former shanty towns. No responsible government could allow the building and development of similar such illegal dwellings so vulnerable in the face another Dorian.

Judging from my own experience as a diplomat with UN bodies of this type, I believe it is important to keep them fully informed rather than leaving them to be briefed exclusively by organisations like Rights Bahamas. At the very least, it is unhelpful that such outside organizations should issue statements which may be based on incomplete information. The IAHCR may indeed have made a fact-finding visit to Nassau a couple of years ago, but it is surely essential to keep all the bodies concerned fully updated on the latest developments - particularly post-Dorian - as well as to explain the background about Haitian immigration and the dangers of potential mass migration from our southern neighbour.

The same applies to the international press. This means starting a dialogue with them that goes further than the recent statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. So, I wonder whether the time has come for some active diplomacy in all this. Why not invite representatives of the world’s media to Nassau for a comprehensive briefing so that all concerned are fully aware of the reality? Because of the geography we are the most vulnerable among CARICOM countries but, if the flood gates were opened, others in the region could be affected as well.

Despite all this, however, some cynics wonder, after all, whether the US itself really cares that much about this thorny issue, since the pass has already been sold. One has only to look at the numbers of Haitians driving taxis at Miami airport and even in places further away, including Canada. When my wife and I were in Montreal not too long ago, we were driven in from the airport – yes, you guessed it – by a Haitian cab driver!

More trouble in Catalonia highlights divisions in eu states

Spain’s north eastern region of Catalonia, the economic power house of the nation with a population of 7.5 million and its own language and culture together with considerable autonomy and a regional parliament, is back in the headlines because of widespread violent riots in its capital city of Barcelona.

These are in protest against the sentencing by the Supreme Court in Madrid earlier this month of nine Catalan politicians and activists to jail terms of between nine and 13 years in connection with the region’s failed bid in 2017 to break away from Spain to become an independent state. Many regard such sentences as unwarranted and excessive. The Supreme Court had declared a referendum conducted by the regional government - which claimed that 90 percent of those participating had opted for independence even though the turnout of people eligible to vote was only 42 percent - was illegal and unconstitutional. As a result, direct rule was imposed by the central government in Madrid after stripping the regional government of its powers.

Catalonia’s quest for independence dates back to the 18th century. In modern times, it remains deeply divided on the issue with less than half the population in favour of leaving. Nonetheless, separatists are pressing for another referendum. They believe their wealthy and productive region, as a major contributor to the national economy, has a right to self-determination and more say in its own affairs. But Madrid remains opposed to another referendum. Some Catalans also see the police reaction to the riots as unnecessarily brutal and reminiscent of Franco’s heavy-handed suppression of the region in the 1930s.

It is interesting that while the European Union moves towards ever-closer political and economic union, there remain underlying divisions within its established member states in the shape of nationalist separatist movements seeking greater autonomy or outright secession – to name just a few, Corsica, Bavaria, the Basques in Spain and Scotland whose independence referendum in 2014 resulted in a vote to stay in the United Kingdom though tensions on the issue remain high with the Scottish National Party pressing for another test of public opinion.

In my view, full EU political union and creation of a federal super state remains a fantasy. But, of course, co-operation on as wide a front as possible among sovereign states in Europe remains desirable if not essential in order to ensure a peaceful future for the continent.

Younger generation may ensure less corruption

A startling statistic caught my eye the other day – 41 percent of the global population of some 7.5 billion are under the age of 24. On a selfish and superficial note, that is music to the ears of self-satisfied seniors because it means there will be enough people around to generate the wealth to pay their pensions for years to come.

But it is an interesting statistic for other more serious reasons. Compared with earlier generations, young people today are better informed and ‘connected’ because of the internet and social media. They tend to be less bound by social conventions and religious teaching, and are better educated and on the whole healthier and have more opportunities to travel. All this tends to increase their expectations and encourages them to become involved as activists in issues like the environment and climate change as well as human rights and perceived injustice and inequality. It gives them the confidence to challenge established authority and amounts to a form of social evolution.

Many will argue that this is a good development because it brings with it a greater likelihood that tyrannical governments will be challenged. But the increasing influence of the younger generation is also no bad thing in a democracy because it provides another strand in the checks and balances holding an elected government to account and to ensure greater transparency and thereby less corruption. So, a startling statistic perhaps, but not an unwelcome one.