As one of crisis-ridden Haiti’s closest neighbors, The Bahamas has always complained about having to absorb and cater to thousands of Haitian migrants fleeing economic and political crises, gang violence, and other issues at home.
Official estimates of the number of Haitians in The Bahamas are usually 30% of the population, heading to around 350,000. Many of them are poor, unable to fill high-paying jobs, or without the skills needed to build aesthetic homes in a nation whose lifeline is tourism. So Bahamian officials have commenced a campaign to clampdown on Haitians arriving there illegally as the crisis of violence and a collapsed government structure worsens.
Late last week, Prime Minister Phillip Davis ordered the evacuation of the entire Bahamian diplomatic staff in Haiti, fearing the situation was deteriorating to a point where the safety of the staff could no longer be guaranteed. The diplomats were transited through the neighboring Dominican Republic.
The evacuation order came just hours after authorities reported the deaths of 15 police officers at the hands of marauding gangs. Angry colleagues reacted by storming the official residence of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, contending that nothing from the political top was being done to alleviate their plight. The Caribbean Community nation of close to 12 million people has been in a state of turmoil ever since suspected Colombian rebels stormed the residence of President Jovenel Moïse, assassinating him in July of 2021, injuring his wife and plunging the country into a level of chaos that is only worsening.
The 15-nation regional Caricom bloc, of which Haiti was the last to join in 2002, said in a statement that it “is deeply concerned” about the political situation, the challenge police officers are facing, and the general breakdown of security in the country.
“The anger and dismay of the police at the gruesome killings of their colleagues—78 killed since July 2021 and 14 to date this January—are shared by all. However, abandoning the role of the security forces to protect every citizen and maintain public order further destabilizes the country. The protest actions by members of the police service against the prime minister cannot be condoned,” the bloc said.
As an indication of how panicky authorities in The Bahamas are, the cabinet said this week it will defy the advice of the United Nations to suspend the deportations of Haitians seeking refuge there. Police and the coast guard said that they repatriated more than 5,000 Haitians last year. Immigration Minister Keith Bell said the country has no choice.
“The United Nations obviously seek to ensure that there is harmony, there’s unity among all nations, so obviously that is his job. We in The Bahamas have a job to do to ensure that we protect The Bahamas for Bahamians. It’s as simple as that. The Bahamas as all governments have consistently said we cannot absorb these persons who come in The Bahamas illegally. If you want to come to The Bahamas as a tourist or want to work, then there is a process. If you follow that process, you may be granted access to The Bahamas,” Bell said.
Bahamian officials have made no secret of their anger pertaining to the emergence of Haitian shanty cities, some without lavatory and other facilities. Officials argue that these have led to a devaluation of property values of locals. The government is even going back to court to seek an amendment to an injunction preventing official action against shanty towns, PM Davis said at the weekend.
“The country is currently experiencing a spike of illegal migration from Haiti and Cuba. Nearly 400 Haitian migrants are detained in Inagua after they were caught on a vessel in Bahamian waters this week. Another group of Haitian migrants landed on Andros this week. I made that intervention. The prime minister of Haiti and I discussed the issues of what’s occurring now in Haiti. The challenge is, as I pointed out to my fellow heads, until we fix Haiti, this will continue to happen. It is a humanitarian crisis there. People are desperate, and migration and desperate and dangerous migration will continue,” Davis said.
