Regional

“We Will Continue Deportations”

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Despite recommendations from a recent United Nations report suggesting The Bahamas hold off on deporting Haitian nationals, the immigration minister says that’s not possible.

Published

2 months ago

November 23, 2022

Berthony McDermott

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Despite recommendations from a recent United Nations report suggesting The Bahamas hold off on deporting Haitian nationals, the immigration minister says that’s not possible.

The government has no intentions of halting deportations of Haitian migrants, according to Immigration Minister Keith Bell.

His comments come as a report from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees urges countries to suspend the forced return of Haitians to their country.

The report, dated November 3, 2022, notes that violence, kidnappings, looting and roadblocks by armed gangs, and the recent cholera outbreak, has exacerbated an already dramatic humanitarian situation there.

Bell says today, just over 100 migrants were repatriated to Haiti in addition to 64 who were returned to Cuba and Haiti on Tuesday.

The immigration minister says the plan is to continue the repatriations.

The report also urges countries to stop the forcible return of Haitian nationals who have had their asylum claims rejected prior to recent events.

We also asked the immigration minister about Haitian nationals seeking refugee status in The Bahamas.

Bell making it clear Haitians entering The Bahamas are not refugees, but economic migrants.