The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

NORTH Abaco MP Kirk Cornish said the island has a “vexing migrant issue” following the discovery of a safe house on the island harbouring 19 migrants of different nationalities.

Immigration Minister Keith Bell on Friday said officers found a safe house in Abaco harbouring the migrants, stemming from a recent operation that sent immigration officers to the island.

Mr Bell said the migrants found were attempted to be smuggled.

When contacted for comment, Mr Cornish said the uncovering of the 19 migrants in the safehouse clearly speaks to the strong hold “this vexing migrant issue has on Abaco.”

“Not only are the migrants here building illegal communities, occupying land illegally, working illegally but more alarming they are being facilitated and employed by Bahamians. For the love of our country, we can’t ask a government to fix a problem in the light and facilitate it in the dark. I hope and pray that we all do our part to correct this issue,” he said.

Mr Bell on Friday also called on citizens not to facilitate migrants, as he explained it is Bahamians’ duty as well to protect the country’s borders.

“I want to invite the Bahamian people, we too have to become caretakers for our borders, for our country, against unscrupulous persons, including Bahamians because these persons are being facilitated by Bahamians,” Mr Bell said on Friday.

He added: “So if you have any information, if you have any intelligence, then by all means, please call the police. Please call the Defence Force or please call the Immigration Department. And we will act on your information.”

Mr Cornish for his part shared similar sentiments in his effort to discourage others from harbouring migrants.

“I wish to encourage all Bahamians not to engage in facilitating or hiding migrants. It is a criminal act and you will be prosecuted if found. Please, this is our country, it is the best country in the world. Let’s protect and keep it,” Mr Cornish added yesterday.

When asked about further details on those migrants who were found in the safehouse, Mr Cornish said investigations were ongoing.

Additionally, in Abaco concern has been raised about the recent expansion of several shanty towns there, with one unregulated community mushrooming to 200 acres since 2019.

In a recent operation on Abaco there were 52 arrests, the operation also showed the heightened level of the shantytown issue.