The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRESS statements from the Ministry of Immigration and the owner of the British Colonial Hotel appeared to differ from previous conclusions of senior immigration officials and comments from Minister Keith Bell, creating a muddy picture about the status of a group of Chinese nationals when they were released from custody in January.

The Ministry of Immigration said the Chinese nationals were here legally and that their employers were applying for their work permits when the workers were detained and quickly freed earlier this year.

Likewise, Strategic Property Holding, the owner of the British Colonial Hotel, said it “wishes to express its grave concern regarding recent unfounded accusations made concerning the immigration status of our workers”.

 “We unequivocally affirm that all our workers at the British Colonial Hotel operate under a Heads of Agreement for the British Colonial Renovation and we are in compliance with all applicable Bahamian law,” the company said. 

 However, when he initially responded to the controversy, Mr Bell acknowledged that immigration officers encountered “a number of irregularities with the status of workers” at the construction site that “required immediate action”.

 Furthermore, a January 18 letter from Chief Immigration Officer Chad Adams to Deputy Director of Immigration Fausteen Major-Smith highlighted problems with the status of the workers.

 Mr Adams wrote that only three of the 65 people produced passports or identification.

 “All of the others claimed they had no passports in their possession and were unable to contact the persons who may have them,” he wrote.

 Mr Adams noted irregularities involving the three people who did show identification.

 In one case, a man initially had a short-term permit as a technician sponsored by someone at Margaretville Beach Resort. But when his permit expired on April 23, no further request was made on his behalf. Mr Adams said the man overstayed nine months.

 Another man, he said, had a short-term permit that expired on August 20, 2020. That man left the country and re-entered as a visitor, overstaying for four months.

 He said the third person overstayed for 24 days.

 Despite this newspaper’s requests, the Davis administration has not provided The Tribune with the Heads of Agreement governing the renovations to the Hilton.

 Strategic Property Holding said it anticipates creating 300 permanent jobs for Bahamians after renovations.