The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

IMMIGRATION Minister Elsworth Johnson said he supports the prime minister’s position on illegal migration, stating yesterday that the issue has put a strain on local schools and health facilities.

Mr Johnson spoke a day after Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said Bahamians must take their country back, while encouraging him to create a “strike force” to aggressively pursue undocumented migrants in the country.

Speaking about the strike force with reporters yesterday, Mr Johnson said everything done in his ministry is “designed to protect the borders of the Bahamas” and the “dignity of the human person.”

“Immigration is not just about economic migrants,” he said. “When we meet an economic migrant we go into protection mode, because they’re vulnerable — vulnerable women, men and children.

Still, Mr Johnson said officials have a “greater obligation” to stop terrorists, money launderers, and human and gun traffickers from entering the country’s borders.

Asked whether he believed Dr Minnis’ comments were xenophobic, he added: “No, he was not being xenophobic. That’s what you ought to do. You must say to persons in a humane way, this is how we’re going to conduct ourselves.

“We don’t have no more space in our schools, we don’t have monies to build anymore schools, we don’t have any more beds in the hospitals. We have to say listen Bahamians pay taxes (so) this is what we’re going to do.”

Mr Johnson insisted that while Bahamians “cannot build” the country without the help of foreigners, there is a way that non-citizens should enter the country.

“If you want to come, say to me how you’re going to educate your child because we already have the expense of educating Bahamian children,” he said.

“If you want to come, say to me how you’re going to deal with healthcare. We say a lot of things about Donald Trump, but he got it right when he says America wants meritorious migration.”

Asked whether the government was looking into changing legislation that would prevent illegal migrants from accessing the country’s social services and health resources, he added: “We’re not reviewing that at this time, but we’re saying listen if you want to come to the Bahamas, there’s a way to come.

“And in saying that, we aren’t identifying any one group, any one sex, any one religion (or) any one origin, we’re saying that as dispassionate as we possibly can in accordance with the Constitution of the Bahamas.”

Mr Johnson said he believes the country is “punching above its weight” and that there was only “so much” it could do.

“So any child that finds themselves here now we try and put them in the school and every time I speak about this I commend the teachers’ union for what they do because they don’t complain.

“But at some point, we’re going to have to come to the knowledge that you can’t put 50 children in one classroom. You’re doing a disservice to them.”

Mr Johnson insisted the country is not “doing anything strange” because similar immigration policies are enforced all around the world.

He also said local officials are always careful in protecting the “fundamental human rights” of every individual.

“...The government has an obligation to be reasonable, to be fair, to be transparent and as best (as) it can, to be honest in all of its dealings with anybody that find themselves within the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.”

Mr Johnson also said officials have an “obligation to protect this sovereign and democratic country.”

He added that Bahamians “should not be afraid” to tell anybody in the country that they have to be “loyal and committed” to the country.

“…We cannot allow people to twist the conversation,” he insisted. “People are (saying) all sorts of nonsense, all sorts of erroneous, frivolous and vexatious pictures about what we do in The Bahamas claiming that we burn people.

“Absolute nonsense. I want every Bahamian to understand. I have about three more years (and) don’t know that I will run again but for these three years I’m going to give it 110 percent service to my country.”

Mr Johnson declined to respond to accusations from some critics alleging that a number of the bodies of storm victims were unclaimed in Abaco after Hurricane Dorian because officials had deported those who could identify them.

Still, he did say the government realises it is “fundamental to protect the dignity and integrity of every person who finds themselves within the Bahamas.”

“We’ve been doing that in accordance with the law (and) respecting the rights of everybody who’s here in the Bahamas,” he said.