The Nassau Guardian
Govt to meet with Haitian, TCI heads on Haitian migration
With an estimated 20,000 to 50,000 undocumented Haitians living in The Bahamas, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said yesterday that the government will hold trilateral talks with Haitian President Michel Martelly and Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Governor Peter Beckingham.
Davis, who is the acting minister of foreign affairs, said the talks are part of the Christie administration’s thrust to get a handle on the issues involving Haitian migration.
During a preliminary meeting with Beckingham yesterday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Davis noted that The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands are “prime targets for illegal migration from the south” because of their close proximity to the United States.
He revealed that the country will collaborate with Haiti and the TCI along with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to prevent irregular migration.
“As part of this collaboration, The Bahamas intends to help facilitate a preliminary study to be conducted by the IOM on Haitian migration from the north coast of Haiti to The Bahamas and TCI.”
Davis said the findings of the study will help the government to construct future migration policies.
Beckingham said both the TCI and The Bahamas must unite to persuade Haiti officials to do more to prevent migration.
“Migration is costing human lives and it’s costing our government money,” Beckingham said. “So for those reasons and others we want to do more about it.
“…We believe that by meeting jointly with the government of Haiti there may be areas where we can insert some persuasion to encourage it to do more about the problem that it faces and we face jointly.
“I think that by showing Haiti that we are united in this enterprise and discussion, that we will underline the seriousness of the problem, and I hope that we can do something about it.”
Davis said he welcomes the opportunity to work with TCI officials on the issue.
“As neighbors of the TCI, The Bahamas recognizes the importance of cooperation in formulating an integrated response to combating irregular migration.”
Beckingham added that the TCI has formulated a number of measures to try and get a “tighter grip on the problem”.
Also at yesterday’s meeting were Immigration Director William Pratt and Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Commodore Roderick Bowe.
Martelly arrived in the country last night. He is expected to sign several bilateral agreements with Bahamian officials during his visit.
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