The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas has had no recent request from the United States to accept deportees amid the COVID-19 crisis, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said yesterday, adding this country would accept repatriated Bahamians under established protocols.

Last Friday, US President Donald Trump issued a memo threatening visa sanctions against countries which do not accept deportees from the United States due to the coronavirus pandemic. The memo, sent to the US Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), said the DHS secretary should notify the secretary of state if any government denies or delays "the acceptance of aliens who are citizens, subjects, nationals, or residents of that country after being asked to accept those aliens, and if such denial or delay is impeding operations of the Department of Homeland Security necessary to respond" to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once notified, the State Department would initiate a plan within seven days to impose visa sanctions that would only be lifted once the country in question has begun accepting repatriated citizens without delay.

"Countries that deny or unreasonably delay the acceptance of their citizens, subjects, nationals, or residents from the United States during the ongoing pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 create unacceptable public health risks for Americans," President Trump wrote. "The United States must be able to effectuate the repatriation of foreign nationals who violate the laws of the United States."

The Tribune contacted Sharon Brennen-Haylock, director general, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, about the order. She said she was not in receipt of any document that requested the Bahamas government to receive its deportees.

"As far as I know we have had no requests as yet from the US," Ms Brennen-Haylock said. "The Bahamas would accept the deportees once all of the processes have been undertaken to verify nationality."

Ms Brennen-Haylock was clear The Bahamas would comply with US requests once such a document was issued.

"Once the United States sends us a request, we go through the process of verification," she explained. "Once we have verified that the deportee is in fact a Bahamian citizen, then we would go back (in correspondence) to the United States with a yes or no, but to date we have no request."

The memorandum shall cease to apply on December 31, unless extended by President Trump.