This announcement came from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Cynthia Pratt Monday.
During a late afternoon press conference at the Ministry of National Security on Monday, Minister Pratt acknowledged that there are threats to the country’s national security as a result of the situation in Haiti.
She announced that the Bahamas Government has formulated a contingency plan to deal with the expected fallout from months of violence in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation.
“The government is very concerned with the uprising in Haiti,” she said. “As a matter of fact, I believe the world is actually watching what’s going on in Haiti and the Caribbean is indeed on high alert.”
Permanent Secretary Mark Wilson pointed out that some of the contingency measures have merely been stepped up from the normal routine.
He said, for example, surveillance in the Exuma Cays is a normal routine of the Defence Force.
Discontent has grown in Haiti since President Jean Bertrand Aristide’s party swept legislative elections in 2000, which international observers said were flawed. The Opposition demands that Mr. Aristide step down, but he refuses to do so until his term ends on January 7, 2006.
Minister Pratt said in recent times, the strategy of the migrant vessels have changed.
“Small numbers of migrants are spirited away in the Exuma Cays from where they make their way to New Providence,” Minister Pratt said.
“The Defence Force’s dauntless craft, which does extensive patrols in the Exumas, have had reasonable success in locating migrants on cays and in turning over to the Immigration Department, the excess crew of Haitian vessels,” she said.
Minister Pratt added that although patrols will be increased, the public must take into account the wear and tear on the equipment, which she said must be balanced to avoid, as far as possible, major breakdowns.
These breakdowns would adversely affect the ability of the Defence Force to conduct its normal functions or respond to emergencies, she added.
Meanwhile, Mr. Wilson alluded to Haitian immigrants possibly seeking political asylum in the Bahamas.
She said a representative of Amnesty International is expected to meet with the Director of Immigration Vernon Burrows on Tuesday to examine the protocols that ought to be put in place to deal with any refugees from Haiti.
“Amnesty International at the present time recognizes that the vast majority of Haitians who come to the Bahamas as illegal refugees are in fact economic refugees. Given the present situation in Haiti, we believe that might change,” Mr. Wilson said.
Mr. Wilson also spoke to the trafficking of illegal drugs by immigrants.
Defence Force officers apprehended four Haitian immigrants onboard a 55-foot Haitian sloop in the area of Nassau Harbour Sunday night. Defence Force officials also seized 10 packages of suspected contraband, which were discovered in a hidden apartment.
The permanent secretary said such incidents are of great concern to the Ministry of National Security.
“Drugs is one of the problems, but there are other criminal activities along the margins of that trade,” Mr. Wilson said. ” Wherever persons break the law and leave themselves open to other law breakers, then you get other types of criminal activities and drugs is just one of them.”
Regarding the deployment of Defence Force officers to Haiti as peacekeeping troops, Minister Pratt said the government would not risk the lives of its marines at this juncture.
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs said the government of Haiti is not interested in any outside interference, therefore The Bahamas will not risk the lives of its officers,” Minister Pratt. “However, we will review the situation and discuss it with the people to see whether in fact we should indeed interfere in some way.
“The bottom line is we must protect our borders. We must protect The Bahamas. Our brothers and sisters in Jamaica, Barbados and all the others are concerned as well with the influx of Haitians coming into their country, so they are also stepping up the alert to protect their borders. We must do the same thing, but be sensible about it.”
Minister Pratt said Jamaica has already apprehended 12 Haitian immigrants on the seas who were attempting to enter that country.
“Eight of those 12 were police officers out of Haiti and there were weapons onboard the boat,” Minister Pratt said. “If it can happen to Jamaica, it can certainly happen to The Bahamas. We are sisters and brothers in this together. We have to share with each other. Intelligence sharing is vital to The Bahamas.”
Hadassah Hall, The Bahama Journal
