NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe. Photo: Austin Fernander
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
AFTER a US human trafficking report highlighted deficiencies in The Bahamas’ fight against human trafficking, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe said the Department of State should be “a bit more respectful” in future reports.
A recent US report said The Bahamas government has fully complied with the minimum standards to eliminate trafficking.
However, it noted concerns over the government’s efforts to initiate prosecution, identify victims, provide investigative data, and protect vulnerable groups.
The US recommended the government be more inclusive of LGBTQI+ groups, Haitian and stateless persons, and foreign diplomatic missions.
Additional recommendations included: “Increase efforts to investigate, prose-cute, and convict traffickers; improve efforts to identify victims and refer them to services; reduce delays in court proceedings; ensure the process to find alternate housing for at-risk communities does not create additional vulnerabilities; include Haitian Creole and Spanish-speaking services on the trafficking hotline.”
Asked about the recommendations, Mr Munroe said the US should “assist more fulsomely”.
“They’ve given us recommendations. I picked up one of the recommendations, which is to provide designated housing for TIPS victims. That’s just one of their recommendations. It’s been one for eight years,” he said.
“They could see we just finished the Budget debate. They could see how we allocate our resources. They can see we’ve allocated resources for a safe house for victims of sexual offences. Just as they pro-vide us tangible assistance in other areas, they could provide us tangible assistance in this area if they were so minded.”
The US reported concerns of non-government organisations, saying: “NGOs reported that although the country adopted appropriate laws and procedures, lower-level police, immigration officials, and labour inspectors did not implement them because of a failure to understand them, neglect, or complicity. Observers also noted some immigration officials may have solicited Haitian migrants for bribes to pre-vent detention.”
In response, Mr Munroe said he would not tolerate such denigration of law enforcement officials.
“I am not impressed with secondhand hearsay attributed information,” he said. “If, in effect, you’re telling me that our officials do not understand them, please provide a concrete example of why.
“Saying that somebody tells you that is the equivalent of you telling me that you’re saying that Wayne Munroe is sexy because Wayne Munroe tells you Wayne Munroe is sexy. That is not a sensible way for countries to deal with one another.
“I would expect having seen this report - and I haven’t received it yet - some detailed reporting of who has said this, what is the information and exactly how it was proffered. I am not impressed that this is a State Department report. I’m impressed when our friends assist us to point out factual shortcomings because that is the only way that we can address them, but as far as this reference is concerned, we have no clue which NGOs these are.
“And so, comments like this are really unhelpful, and we expect that our friends will seek to assist us, and we hold ourselves open to receiving that assistance. What I do not, as the minister of national security, hold myself open to, is accept-ing the denigration of law enforcement officials of this country based on hearsay from unidentified sources. Our service people deserve more and better than that, and I for one will not tolerate it.”
More like this story
- Munroe says 'we accept all criticism' after US trafficking report
- Bahamas keeps Tier 1 status in latest US human trafficking report, but improvements needed
- Bahamas moves up to top tier in human trafficking report
- Bahamas in US report on forced labour and sex trafficking
- Bahamas retains its Tier 1 ranking over human trafficking
Comments
hrysippus 1 year, 4 months ago
These comments from the minister so remind me of the similar comments from the corruption smeared Pindling Cabinet ministers during the 1980's drug fueled Nation For Sale years; " It is not our fault that we have drug smugglers running cocaine into the US, it is your fault for having people who want to buy it." But, hey, it is always easy to blame the Messager if you do not like the message. Sigh..
realfreethinker 1 year, 4 months ago
munroe will be the downfall of this new day government.
TalRussell 1 year, 4 months ago
Is the crown's security minister, now suggesting.that — The US Department of State's future reports on human trafficking — Should be —“A bit more respectful” — When it comes to how they highlight deficiencies about the — Bahamas’ fight against human trafficking. — Considering their power talk on human trafficking, — Had been based on a series of — 'Big misunderstandings.' — So um yeah, — Something', is so shameful of which — NO Christian Believer Bahaman, having received —'The Truth' — Would've ever been caught — Engaging in such an enterprise.
sheeprunner12 1 year, 4 months ago
How dare Munroe question the source of the USA report??
Doesn't he know that USA knows every time that he farts???
Munroe should be careful that more embarrassing information about this corrupt PLP New Day government is not revealed by the USA.
Munroe is a real jokey fella.
rosiepi 1 year, 4 months ago
It seems that most folks except for crass individuals like Munroe, understand that respect must be earned and so the lack informs us. Munroe umbrage in the US State Dept’s report stems from it’s unfavorable comparison to the previous administration.
Particular to the 2023 report are the lax efforts of the DOJ, DOL and DOI to identify, prosecute and curb observed abuses in departmental corruption, employer abuse towards foreign/migrant workers, and a general indifference. For ex. deporting any worker who submits a labour violation. The US pointed out that this gov’t looks the other way on the forced labour of migrants/foreign workers, allowing employers to hide their permit info, confiscate their passports, and twice pointing to government contracts w/ Cuba for medical workers, labouring here likely against their will. That Davis & co has gutted funds for victims by 51%, thus ensuring their likelihood of sticking around to testify, negligible.
Its the same corrupt playbook they used to line their pockets in previous administrations. Perhaps Monroe &co should seek respect in some admiration society for despot governments? I hear Trump heads one.
ThisIsOurs 1 year, 4 months ago
"They could see we just finished the Budget debate. They could see how we allocate our resources. They can see we’ve allocated resources for a safe house for victims of sexual offences"
I dont think Mr Munroe reads these reports. Because they same the same things over and over again. The one thing I'm positive the US State Dept knows by now is, nothing in the budget is directly correlated to reality or time... in this dimension.
ExposedU2C 1 year, 4 months ago
I am surprised this fool we have as minister of security did not simply tell the U.S. Department of State that our country's diplomatic arrangements with The Peoples Republic of China are now such that we no longer feel compelled to suck up to the U.S. government on anything, period. And the same goes for all of those international alphabet agencies that the U.S. government controls and has been using for decades to rape, pillage and plunder other nations around the world like ours.
After all, Fwreddy Boy Mitchell would be the first one to tell us that the yellow and black colours on our official national flag are now seen as being symbolic of the great unity that exists between the Bahamian people and their most generous, helpful and caring Chinese communist friends.
B_I_D___ 1 year, 4 months ago
Be more respectful...what a jack-***!!!
birdiestrachan 1 year, 4 months ago
Mr Munroe is correct , all deserve respect , the USA is no more a shinning light on the hill,,they have so many problems , now they do not have to create web sits for gays will they soon say, blacks can not drink from fountains or sit at counters
SP 1 year, 4 months ago
The U.S. is 1000% correct to have concerns over the government’s efforts to initiate prosecution, identify victims, and provide investigative data.
After 50 years of extraordinary human smuggling resulting in literally hundreds of thousands of illegals entering the Bahamas, the Bahamas government has not ever produced a single shred of investigative data identifying the nuts and bolts of illegal humane smuggling!
Every Haitian Bahamian knows everything there is to know about human smuggling from Haiti. In fact, Cubans, Chinese, and others trying to get to the U.S. illegally can ask any Haitian Bahamian how to go about contacting the right people.
How is it remotely conceivable that the government is incapable of identifying not even one of the small-time players in a multi-billion dollar, 50-year-long human smuggling operation?
Where are the investigations, arrests, and prosecutions, for human smugglers?
The only single conclusion one can arrive at is the government has to also be a major player themselves in this racket!
With corruption rocking Haiti from its foundation forever, and the high number of Haitians in our Parliament starting with Stephen Dillet, one would have to be blind, stupid, and dumb, not to connect the dots and understand that the enemy within has protection from the highest level and is in total control of human smuggling from Haiti.
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