ELSWORTH Johnson in Parliament. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT
tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net
FINANCIAL Services, Trade, Industry and Immigration Minister Elsworth Johnson told The Tribune yesterday he welcomed the United Nations’ recent inspectorial visit to The Bahamas as “we have nothing to hide”.
Dr Garry Conille, United Nations resident coordinator, and his team toured the Carmichael Road Detention Centre and a shanty town known as The Farm in Abaco at the weekend.
Following the visit, the UN team released a statement thanking The Bahamas for its hospitality and also promising assistance in immigration going forward.
Mr Johnson said the government was happy to have the team here.
“We were happy to have the UN team in The Bahamas as we have absolutely nothing to hide,” he said.
“As a sovereign and democratic country we celebrate the fact that we do all that is necessary to preserve and protect the fundamental rights and dignity of anybody who finds themselves in The Bahamas.
“We are delighted to have them visit and inspect the Detention Centre. We have been commended by the Inter-American Commission Rights for the advancement made at the Detention Centre. We will continue to uphold the laws of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to ensure the protection of the fundamental rights of everyone.”
Over the past few weeks, the government has taken action against shanty towns in Abaco and bulldozing illegal dwelling structures is in progress.
During the UN team’s visit to Abaco, a group of shanty town residents protested against the bulldozing with the hope of getting the attention of the UN team.
“We have been very clear and unambiguous in what we are doing in Abaco with the shanty towns,” Mr Johnson said. “We say that those homes are irregular. They are built in contravention to our building regulations and laws and are not fit for human habitation.
“. . .This has been going on for years. The matter is before the courts and we are following the law. We have given proper notice. In regards to this I will quote this from a previous case where the Privy Council said, ‘If one occupies and/or constructs structures without the authority of the owner, then they do it to their own disadvantage.’
“Nobody has the right within the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, including the government, to unlawfully take possession of property and construct, whether it’s private or public property.”
A statement released by the UN after the team’s visit noted: “Dr Garry Conille, United Nations resident coordinator (RC) in the Bahamas, thanks the people and government of The Bahamas for their warm welcome and hospitality during his consultative mission in the country over the past week.
“Discussions around development cooperation, the environment, migration, disaster preparedness and response, the economy and recovery from COVID-19 were positive.
“The RC recognises the ongoing challenges associated with irregular migration, and the health, sanitation and safety vulnerabilities linked with erecting informal buildings – challenges not unique to The Bahamas. The RC also acknowledges the positive attempts of the government to treat these sensitive issues with due care and dignity.
“Dr Conille commits the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator and its country team to support and work alongside the Government of the Bahamas, and partners, to help ensure that all processes to regularize migration as well as housing and building codes, maintain the health and dignity of all populations, are in keeping with Bahamian law, meet international best practice, recognize the human rights of all persons and uphold Bahamas’ human rights commitments.”
The UN’s statement also thanked and welcomed “the frank, positive, transparent and constructive” dialogues with the government and it commended the government for its management of ‘back-to-back crises,’ – Category 5 Hurricane Dorian and the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Comments
bahamianson 3 years, 5 months ago
let them go to china and see if they are welcomed to inspect the wuhan lab?
Kalikgold 3 years, 5 months ago
lol
tribanon 3 years, 5 months ago
“Dr Conille commits the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator and its country team to support and work alongside the Government of the Bahamas, and partners, to help ensure that all processes to regularize migration as well as housing and building codes, maintain the health and dignity of all populations, are in keeping with Bahamian law, meet international best practice, recognize the human rights of all persons and uphold Bahamas’ human rights commitments.”
It's all too obvious from Gary Conille's statement above, especially the words in bold type, that the UN has absolutely no intention of providing us with diplomatic or other assistance aimed at stopping or mitigating the extent to which our small nation continues to be invaded by overwhelming numbers of Haitian nationals fleeing Haiti.
And the Minnis-led FNM administration should neither gloat nor sing loudly that it has nothing to hide from the UN when it comes to recognizing and upholding human rights because the next fact finding mission by the UN and/or Inter-American Commission Rights will likely be done at our Fox Hill Prison.
BigBahamas 3 years, 5 months ago
Indeed. The Bahamas is a country of around 385 thousand people, and of those people, 25% or a quarter are Haitians. Such a small country can not be expected to be able to deal with immense flow of immigration.
TalRussell 3 years, 5 months ago
This represents just the tip of the iceberg of these MeanRedRegime's (MRR) coverups.
Then, Mr. Big Shot Crown Minister, why is it, you won't permit our own local media to gain access with prisoners that are held in your, unsanitary cages at both the Immigration Detention and Fox Hill Prisons, yes?
Bahamianbychoice 3 years, 5 months ago
Under this same Minister, there has been a lack of regularizing citizenship for children born to Bahamian women . He is the same Minister who is involved in denying persons with PR from working in the fishing industry and this is the same Minister that has suggested that Bahamians living abroad should be denied the opportunity to vote. All of the above is against the Constitution....and we wonder why we have the attention of these international groups...yet The Bahamas has to keep borrowing...all kinds of hard mouth yet nothing to back it up.....Johnson just needs to sit small and stop the rhetoric....as he knows exactly why the UN came in.
DWW 3 years, 5 months ago
Bahamians living abroad should not vote. what constituency do you put them in? which MP would get the benefit of a bunch of absent voters. Why would someone living in Seattle for instance for the past 20 years and has little connection to the Bahamas why would they get to vote? enlighten me here please.
tribanon 3 years, 5 months ago
No Bahamian should ever lose their right to vote in a general election held in The Bahamas simply because they happen to live and work in another country. Being a Bahamian living and working outside of The Bahamas does not mean you have somehow forfeited your interest in The Bahamas. There are many Bahamians abroad who maintain The Bahamas as their domicile, who have family members living in The Bahamas, who own property in The Bahamas or who may some day return to The Bahamas. All of these are perfectly valid reasons why no law abiding Bahamian should ever lose their right to vote in a general election in The Bahamas. It's for many of these same reasons that Bahamians are not required to give up their right to hold a Bahamian passport simply because they choose to live and work abroad. Hope this helps some.
jamesg30 3 years, 5 months ago
This Haitian situation has been building over decades, and now these "Rule of Law" creeps are smashing down homes with Kids in them as their solution. Heartless Barbarians. Always love the fact that the Bahamas has so many of us who say we love Jesus. Walking, talking, church going hypocrites. Must have gotten a lot of lessons from the U.S. as to how to approach this unfortunate problem for our country with undocumented citizens. Donald Trump is a wonderful role model for these "smash down their homes" politicians. I understand it is a problem for our over burdened and lacking resources country, but this evil approach by this party is anything but Christian like behavior.
newcitizen 3 years, 5 months ago
So I have to build my house following building codes, on land that I own, but others get to build any structure they want, on land they don't own and they are supposed to be left alone to do as they please? Where is your support when I want to build an addition and town planning says no?
jamesg30 3 years, 5 months ago
You have it. And I would support you if because you went and built anyway, because the approval process is ridiculously slow, and the Goverment then threatened to tear down your house. If they say no, then don't build. If you are a poor Haitian building a shack in the bush, I think we are not talking your guest bedroom addition. Apples and canned ham comparison.
DWW 3 years, 5 months ago
if you want lawless chaos, feel free to visit Haiti. I for one, think having LAW and ORDER is a good thing. If the visiting or emigrating foreigners can't abide by the LAWS then they are free to go elsewhere. If you want to change the laws throw your hat into the ring and get elected. Anyone who doesn't want LAW feel free to leave the Bahamas post haste.
TalRussell 3 years, 5 months ago
This is not simply a case whereby destructive force was used solely against the not as yet fully documented Haitian families.
Many of the homes, bulldosed to rubble with personal effects and furnitures inside - belonged to the families with no connection to Haiti.
Comrade Crown Minister Elsworth Johnson, there is this heart-wrenching photograph just beginning circulating on social media and it shows what results from the powerful force of a bulldoser, after it runs over a baby's crib and children's stuffed animals, yes?
DWW 3 years, 5 months ago
Did you know that these criminals building homes on government owner public Crown Land COULD HAVE BOUGHT A HALF ACRE LEGALLY FOR $5,000 from the Bahamas Government. There are 2 sites one in Sandy Point and another Crown Haven. Or they could buy land between the TC airport and Blackwood for $10,000. just visit the Bahamas Department of Housing and ask. Then they don't have to worry about the home being knocked down because they would OWN the land. this is all so silly really. silly short term thinking. Maybe someone could go and provide some education to these criminals so they can become 'not-criminals'.
tribanon 3 years, 5 months ago
Unsafe and unhealthy dwelling structures that have been illegally built should always be demolished as a matter of law enforcement no matter who owns the land.
DWW 3 years, 5 months ago
squatting on land is essentially stealing. but that is ok if the poor immigrant does it?
jamesg30 3 years, 5 months ago
No it is not O.K. How you deal with the infraction is what it is at issue. Tearing down homes with small children and leaving them where no where to go is inhumane. Enforce the laws, but have a plan as to how to deal with carnage when you tear roofs off of poor people. Unless we just want to be ruthless, reckless enforcers of the law and could care less, after decades of looking the other way, with how we treat these illegal immigrants. Just like Trump splitting families up at the Mexican border. Evil and not how a compassionate, Christian country deals with disadvantaged, desperate families. Says so much about who we are. It is not pretty.
tribanon 3 years, 5 months ago
Aaahhh, yes, the playing of that 'ole time honoured sympathy card. Just give us Bahamians a moment @jamesg30 while we wipe all of the tears flowing from our eyes for all of our fellow Bahamians suffering great hardship today who cannot afford a roof over their head but nevertheless abide by the laws of the land and therefore do not illegally squat and illegally build wherever they choose as many of these lawbreaking Haitian nationals do.
You honestly think our government can afford to put a roof over everyone's head? Besides, if word gets back to Haiti that The Bahamas is now providing free land and housing for Haitian nationals and their offspring (something The Bahamas does not even do for Bahamians), we will have a huge flotilla like no other setting sail from Haiti for our shores. We want the right message of "You're not welcome here" sent to all Haitians in Haiti who may be considering paying human traffickers a hefty fee to illegally bring them to our shores. Enough is enough! The national security and well-being of the Bahamian people must come first or otherwise we will soon have a nation that very closely resembles Haiti.
jamesg30 3 years, 5 months ago
You’re right Trib. My mistake. I will go get my Kleenex and wipe my eyes and blow my nose. You are so right. The damage these invaders are inflicting on our way of life is so detrimental in comparison to corruption, ineffective representation, waste in our government, natural disasters, oh and also all the anxious Bahamians waiting in line to work for $60 day doing hard labor that these parasites are taking from us. My apologies you strong self righteous warrior of good.
tribanon 3 years, 5 months ago
So I guess you're in favour of the continued exploitation of the ever growing huge pool of Haitian slave labour by the few wealthier Bahamians while the vast majority of lower income Bahamians and Bahamians leaving school each year simply get added to our public sector payroll or join the long welfare lines. And by the way, there's a strong correlation between the build up of pervasive corruption in our public sector and the build up of the overwhelming numbers of illegal immigrants who have come to our shores and propagated like crazy since getting here.
Our society's limited resources and way of life have been stretched and torn beyond the seams by illegal immigrants to the point where many Bahamians have ended up becoming much more uncivilized in order to just survive. Bahamians were known to be a docile people before the 1970s. Not so today, and illegal immigration has played a bigger role than you care to think in the transformation of our society, not for the better, but for the worse.
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