The government has repatriated more than 500 people in the last month, Minister of Immigration and Labour Keith Bell said yesterday, stressing that the government is committed to tackling illegal immigration in The Bahamas.
During a communication to Parliament, Bell said 395 Haitians, 167 Cubans, eight Dominicans, three Peruvians, three Colombians and eight people of other nationalities, were repatriated.
Bell noted that conditions in Haiti, which has been engulfed in violence for months, continue to worsen.
“Whilst we continue to hope for conditions to materially improve, the government of The Bahamas is resolute in its position that the immigration laws will be enforced and violators will be returned to their home countries,” he said.
Bell continued, “Operation Restore – the special operation in Abaco launched earlier this year – remains ongoing and have been strengthened through the deployment of additional officers.
“It is the resolve of the government that every effort will be made to ensure that the decades-long issues surrounding unregularized migrant labor in Abaco is addressed.”
Since February 20, Bell said 82 people were arrested on Abaco and charged for various immigration offenses.
He said 34 Haitians and one American were charged with illegal entry.
Additionally, 23 Haitians and three Jamaicans were charged with overstaying and one Jamaican woman was arrested for attempting to mislead an immigration officer.
“Madam Speaker, of the 83 persons charged before the courts, 82 persons were convicted,” he said.
“I believe that this speaks to the hard work of the immigration officers in carrying out the required due diligence and investigations.
“Madam Speaker, since the launch of Operation Secure, we have received various requests for operations to be undertaken in other islands.
“I can assure the public that our immigration officers on the Family Islands are also doing their part as during the past month, persons have been arrested in Bimini, Eleuthera and Grand Bahama, and have been brought to New Providence for further processing.
“Operation Secure is the beginning and not the end of special operations on the Family Islands.”
