12514: Bahamians asleep on illegal immigration (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Daniel Schweissing <dan_schweissing@hotmail.com>

National News
DPM - "Bahamians asleep" on illegal immigration activity

Released Monday, July 8, 2002 at 11:01 am EST by Khashan Poitier



DPM: "Bahamians asleep" on illegal immigration activity

By KHASHAN POITIER

Guardian Staff Reporter

Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia Pratt warned Friday that if the Bahamas does
not rid itself of illegal immigrants, the fate of the country could mirror
the existing war in Guyana between Blacks and Indians.

This warning came during a courtesy call paid to the South Beach Police
station Consultative Committee by the Minister of National Security.

"The reason why they are fighting is because the blacks use to import the
Indians to do their minimal work and the Indians came in with common
labour," said Mrs Pratt. "Next they bought their little houses, they bought
their land, they started owning some things and now they say; 'I have
rights.' Now the war is ... who is in control," said Pratt. "The Bahamas is
for Bahamians. The Bahamas is asleep and when we wake up the coffee will not
be hot."

Prime Minister Perry Christie returned from Guyana Saturday after attending
the Twenty-third Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government Conference. There
were reports of disturbances on the streets of Georgetown (Guyana), during
the Conference but the Bahamian delegation, which included the Minister of
Foreign Affairs and Public Service Fred Mitchell, Minister of Trade and
Industry Leslie Miller, Permanent Secretary A. Missouri Sherman-Peter and
Christie was not affected.

It was reported that a police officer was injured and two people died after
protesters breached the president's compound. Gun shots were also reported.

Like the five-year contract The Bahamas had with the United States, Pratt,
speaking as a Bahamian and not on behalf of the government, suggested that a
similar contract be made to discontinue illegal immigration into the
country.

"We have to first rid the country of illegal immigrants," she said. "Just
like our contract with the Americas for some five years, we would recruit
them on a contract if we want them to do farming or whatever else. Then,
when you're finish with one set, you send them back; then when you finish
with the other set, you send them back. If you do that, it may slow them
down because they will have an opportunity to come here legally."

Although the country can not do anything about Bahamian children born to
illegal immigrant, the country can do something about immigrants who were
not born Bahamians.

Pratt stressed that The Bahamas' immigration problem is not just with
Haitians. There have been reports of illegal migrating by Africans, Cubans,
Ecuadorian, Chinese, Indians and Jamaicans.

She said that the waters surrounding Inagua are most vulnerable for
immigration activity.

Copyright (c) 2001 by Nassau Guardian


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