The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis has shortlisted several people to serve on a committee that will review immigration procedures, according to a government source who expects Mr Davis to seek Cabinet approval before publicly disclosing details about the review.

Last month, Mr Davis said there is a “substantial amount of ministerial discretion” in enforcing immigration laws in the country. He promised to review and modernise the system but did not give specifics.

His comments came after Free National Movement Leader Michael Pintard made several allegations concerning Immigration Minister Keith Bell.

Yesterday, Mr Pintard said the administration refuses to answer questions about his most recent claim: people have been naturalised as Bahamians without renouncing their citizenship, he claimed.

Mr Pintard released a letter last week purportedly from Immigration Director Keturah Ferguson, who expressed concern that laws regarding renunciation were being breached.

On Friday, the Ministry of Immigration said some people could receive Bahamian citizenship without renouncing their nationality.

However, the ministry did not say whether the exemptions apply to the people who prompted concern from Ms Ferguson.

“Exempted categories include (but are not limited to) the wives of Bahamian men and citizens of countries that do not allow persons to renounce,” the ministry said, adding that granting citizenship follows existing laws and policies governing the Department of Immigration.

Mr Pintard said yesterday: “I remind the government that they are not answering the opposition. They’re answering to professionals in immigration, who for decades, have run this system before they ever got in government. Surely those senior public servants have already taken into consideration all of the exceptions.

“What they said was the manner in which you are issuing citizenship, according to the information we have received from those professionals who have access to the files, show that we are operating outside of the law. Has something changed that gave you the authority, Mr Minister, to do what you are doing?

“That’s what the question was, and the answer by the ministry focused in part on one policy. Well, this is not a policy question. This is a legal question.

“If the Cabinet is willing to give him cover to say that they have approved everything that he has done, we just ask the public to stay tuned because we have already revealed sufficiently that he has acted even independent of his colleagues.”