The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said any foreign national wishing to apply for a visa to enter The Bahamas can do so without any legal difficulties.

The ministry released a statement yesterday in response to recent comments made in the press about the government’s visa programme.

“It has come to the ministry’s attention that there was a statement in the news implying that there is prejudice against a specific nationality when it comes to properly entering The Bahamas,” the statement read.

“The Minister of Foreign Affairs wishes to emphasise that there is no legal obstacle to any nationality applying for a visa to enter The Bahamas or obtaining a work permit to enter The Bahamas legitimately.”

The ministry also reminded people that any foreign individual seeking to enter the country legitimately can apply for a visa through the ministry’s Consular Division where “that visa is required by the regulations, all of our embassies, in person or online.”

The statement came after Haitian Chargé de Affairs Anthony Pierre Brutus told reporters last week he believed the only way officials could discourage Haitians from travelling illegally to and from The Bahamas is by “opening up a visa system for the public”.

His comments came in the aftermath of the recent boating tragedy that left 17 Haitian migrants, including a pregnant woman dead.

During a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr Brutus was asked whether the Haitian embassy was discouraging Haitian nationals from partaking in illegal migration.

“At the embassy, we cannot discourage anyone, but we can ask them to apply for a visa just as the United States is doing and Canada is doing,” Mr Brutus replied.

“At that time, The Bahamas government will select who can come in. That happens in every country. The only way we can discourage the Haitian nationals from travelling here illegally is to open up a visa system for the public.

“The Haitians then can apply. The ones that get it, get it and the other ones that are refused are refused. That would be a better way for The Bahamas and Haiti to have a better relationship. It’s about an hour from The Bahamas to Haiti.”

The Haitian embassy official also claimed that around 150,000 Haitians are currently living in The Bahamas.

“There are a lot of Haitians that are travelling that go to Cuba. They go to the US. They go to Santa Domingo and there are 150,000 Haitians living here in The Bahamas,” he said.

“Around that number, there are persons who are here legally and (have been living) about 20 plus years in this country. The persons that are here legally can have a better relationship with others that once they come here, they will be able to flow and apply for a visa in coming to the country legally.”

However, when contacted by The Tribune yesterday, Labour and Immigration Minister Keith Bell called the claim “unfounded”.

As of May 3, 2010, there were 351,461 residents in The Bahamas.

Residents, as defined by the 2010 census report included all people regardless of their legal status, who had been living in the country for a period of six months prior to the census.

Of that figure, 17.3 percent (or 60,802) were citizens of another country and the largest group - some 39,156 people - were Haitian citizens.