The effects of the global financial crisis have hit the tourism industry tourism industry throughout the Caribbean hard. As a result, immigration from poorer to less affluent islands has become increasingly problematic. Such is the case with Haitian immigration to the Bahamas (one of the wealthiest of Caribbean nations), a topic that has been dominating political discussions throughout the islands. The British Broadcasting Corporation recently published an in-depth look at the changing attitudes towards Haitian immigrants among Bahamians. Here are some excerpts, followed below by the link to the complete articles.
The Bahamas have a population of around 350,000 people, covering 23 inhabited islands, It is estimated that up to 80,000 Haitians now live here. National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest says the country has benefited greatly from Haitian workers in the past, but is now feeling the strain. “Haitian nationals have contributed greatly to the development of the Bahamas over the years, but the numbers here now are overwhelming and when we talk about healthcare, education and social services… the strain on our resources… has become extreme,” Mr Turnquest said.
. . .
Commodore Clifford Scavella, head of the Bahamas armed forces, says those seeking to come here illegally have many options.
“On the water there are so many corridors that smugglers can use. We are finding more and more that they are using alternative [routes] so we need to spread our assets as wide as we can, we are seeking government help as we continue the fight,” he says.
The government repatriates hundreds of migrants, with local newspapers reporting regularly on how much this is costing the Bahamas.
. . .
The history of immigration from Haiti to the Bahamas stretches back to the late 1950s, with Haitians taking jobs that many in the Bahamas simply did not want.
Labouring, gardening and construction work saw large numbers given work permits.
Many Haitians have spent most of their lives in the Bahamas, yet they now fear losing their resident status and of possibly being deported. Tony is typical of the Haitian mentality here. He is grateful for the opportunities but says he feels many of his countrymen are seen as an underclass.
“I say 50% [of Bahamians] are good… they accept us, I will not take that from them and without the Bahamas [many] Haitians would be dead.
“They help us to survive but they should treat us as human,” Tony said.
Amnesty International has reported cases of human rights abuses against Haitians on the island.
The government says such violations are rare and are not tolerated.
However, many in the Bahamas feel their culture is being eroded and want stricter controls on immigration.
“They [the Haitians] have got to recognise that they are in a country that has given them a future and not to strip it like they did in Haiti,” a local taxi driver said.
Another Bahaman woman put it more bluntly: “We need our country back, if they came here to get a better life why not go back home and make a better life [there].”
Despite such feelings, the Bahamas Minister of Immigration, Branville McCartney, says his country would not be the success it is today without the help of the local Haitian population.
He admits the government has had to get tough on illegal immigrants and it has led to resentment on both sides.
“People who are here illegally are working… for less pay and we have Bahamians who have no jobs, that breeds animosity.
“When it comes down to healthcare, many people in the hospitals are not from the Bahamas, that too can cause problems,” Mr McCartney said.
However, there is also a generation living in the Bahamas, young people born of Haitian parents, who due to current laws have not got an automatic right to citizenship.
Immigration rules say they have to apply between the ages of 18 to 19, and it is a process that can be drawn out over a number of years, making it difficult for many to gain employment, travel or even open a bank account.
Essentially, these people become virtually stateless in their own country of birth.
For the complete article go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8257660.stm
i feel that the haitian people did do a great job inside the bahamas, but however i feel that they need to head back to their home land and teach their country men how to re-build their country and try and live a better life there like they did in the bahamas, i do feel as a bahamian my country is over flow with the haitian people, the government in the bahamas is not doing their job to control the illegal migrant that seriously entering our seas, the haitian really believe the bahamas islands are a place that they can take and live here without any problem, the caribean ocean is a very large open sea, but they can find their way the the bahamas and seattle on our beautiful lands, but i truly feel our identity is truly stolen from us as “BAHAMIANS” i love this country we call “BAHAMAS”……
By: K.V.Grant on April 20, 2010
at 4:26 am
Im a Bahamian citizen of both Bahamian parents, i feel that Haitian in the Bahamas just like any other nationalities deserve the respect of the people of the Bahamas. If Bahamians sew discord among the Haitians what you expect to reap. I do agree that there are laws here in the Bahamas and that everyone whether it be Bahamians or foreigners should all abide by them, if there are laws that states that you need to follow certain procedures to live here then i feel all foreigners should follow those laws and who don’t then face the consequences to the fullest extend that the law allows, but on the other hand you have haitians who born here in the Bahamas who some cant get their legal papers straight rendering them without a nationality, no identity, cant find a sensible job cant open a bank account, have to pay double at our COB and are rejected from Haiti because in Haiti they dont exist because they were not born there so they have somewhat of the same struggle that they have here in the Bahamas trying to be place in a society that dont want them. Its not fair that they born in a country and are treated like outcasts, we say we want to have American standards here in the Bahamas but are we truly ready to do what it takes to move up to what it takes to have American standards. For one once you born in America you are automatically an American. Here in the Bahamas Haitians are treated less than dogs and its poor to see the way so called God fearing people treat God’s people. Haiti has been struggling now for the pass years and cant seem to be able to recover from the mass destruction that the former government has put them through. Bahamians just like Haitians migrate to other countries but the fellow countrymen treat us like humans in these other countries that Bahamians migrate to. Bahamian people are selfish and not warming at all when it comes to foreigners especially the ones who dont come to our country as tourists. My fellow countrymen bear in mind that these chanty town all over the Bahamas are owned by Bahamian people who rent
these spaces out to the haitians who in turn build house that some of the areas BEC come and put up electricity and water and sewerage run water pipes and they pay BEC water works BTC Cable Bahamas just like me and you. The jobs the Haitians have Bahamians dont want because they are lazy and want high profile jobs with low profile education. A nation cant stand on its own without foreigners whether they be investor or locals. Bahamians remember we have police officers who are Haitians who put their lives on the lines to protect us while we sleep at night, we have Haitians who build our houses, weed our yards and do whatever odd jobs that we or our children refuse to do. We should be focusing on better things than ONLY Haitians migrating to the Bahamas, no one seems to be noticing the high rise on murders every year, its like a life aint important no more because one time i was watching the news and the breaking story was illegal immigrants and the secondary story was a young man being shot to death after some guys break into his house while he was asleep and shot him to death, does anyone see some wrong with that picture MAN! My five cents on illegal immigrants is the ones who are illegal send them back but the once who born here or who went through the right channels to reside here should be respected as our fellow brothers and
sisters. I dont here no Bahamians talk about the Chinese, Jamaicans, Cubans, Phillipinos, Indians, Americans, Canadians, or any other nationality that live here just the Haitians because they are poor and seeking a better way of life. I live in Nassau where the majority of Haitians live and they dont affect me or my children whether it be by the school system, jobs, medical attention or by any other wise. I challenge the goverment to send all the Haitians back to Haiti like the Bahamian people want see the turmoil that this country would face in terms of persons livlihood for eg. bus drivers, farm workers, taxi and other Bahmian people that depend on the Haitian dollar to feed their families. Haitian People contribute to the Bahamas more than some Bahamians do. National insurance, Btc, BEC, Cable Bahamas, water and sewerage, PMH, Immigration, COB and many other penalties that we as Bahamian people dont even care to know about. Bahamians mature when it comes to foreigners they are here and some are here to stay so lets get use to it and enjoy the life God Give us and let the people we put in power deal with the issue of ALL iLLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN THE BAHAMAS AND NOT JUST HAITIANS. I attend COB and every semester first day of every class the best thing the professors could find to talk about is Haitians i didnt pay my thousands of dollars to hear that shi…… MAN! Bahamians we really need to rise as a people and help our fallen brothers and sisters in the time of need and thats my 5cents
By: Ghost Face on February 8, 2011
at 4:53 am
go back nowwwwwwwwwwww
By: nesha on July 6, 2011
at 6:44 pm