The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE large number of migrants being detained in Inagua has highlighted the need for a proper detention facility on the island, according to residents there, who say the government has to stop “dragging their feet” on the issue.

Flavio Cox, who has been living in Inagua for more than a decade, told The Tribune yesterday he is concerned that where migrants are being housed now is not the most suitable living accommodations.

According to residents, the migrants are allegedly being housed in tents at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force’s base located near the island’s airport.

Mr Cox said there have been discussions by government officials about building a proper holding facility, but nothing has been done as yet.

 “There’s a base and they’re (the migrants) are underneath a tent,” Mr Cox said.

 “We, the residents of Inagua, one of our main concerns is making sure that the migrants are treated in a humane type of condition meaning proper waste management and even though they are illegal migrants, they are still human.

 “We cannot treat them and just push them anywhere because it could cause an outbreak of whatever type of disease on the island so one of my main concerns is the sanitation aspect and make sure that our government have that under control.”

 However, for some islanders, while the RBDF base is not the best location, it is still much better than where migrants were housed in the past.

 The situation has brought to light the desperate need for another detention centre, especially as the government plans to use the island as a holding place for migrants before repatriation.

“I think the government needs to work on it,” the island’s chief councillor, Kennard Rolle, said when contacted by this newspaper yesterday. “I know I heard the immigration officer say there was something in the pipeline for it, but they need to work on that very fast, especially now where you see this turmoil in Haiti.

 “You’re going to see a lot of Haitians keep on coming in and out so we need to have the proper facility where these migrants can be properly placed and way out of town.”

 Additionally, there is also a fear of imported diseases like cholera, which could in turn cause an outbreak.

 Haiti is currently battling a resurgence of cholera cases.

 A team of doctors were sent to the island Tuesday to start the necessary health screening.

 The Tribune understands that no diseases of concern have been detected to date.

 “A lot of residents are in fear and they are so concerned about it because you have a lot of pilots who have to come down here to get fuel because of the situation in Haiti and it’s little simple things like that that have the residents in fear because they don’t know what’s going to happen,” Mr Rolle said.

 In terms of security, Mr Cox thinks that more officers could be deployed to the island, especially as more migrants are expected there in view of the recent apprehensions in Andros.

 “For every 30 Haitians, there is one Defence Force officer or for every 25 Haitians, there is one Defence Force officer. You understand me so my concern for safety on this island is, yes, we need to have more officers here to help our situation,” he continued.

 Nearly 400 migrants are said to be detained in Inagua.

 Immigration officials are hoping to have them repatriated later this week.

 The recent influx of migrants from Haiti comes after months of increasing social and political turmoil there.

 Local officials have expressed fears that there could be an explosion of migrant arrivals in the coming days and weeks, while maintaining that they continue to remain on guard.