Speaking to the press while on a tour of the downtown straw market yesterday, Market Manager Walter Rolle said officials are forming a committee to stop the illegal immigration problem in the straw market.
“An immigration officer will be on the committee, so we can pick up the phone and say we need them if we have some problems,” Mr Rolle said.
Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister of National Security Cynthia Pratt, also insisted that the government is serious about weeding out ‘illegals’ in the straw market.
“As it relates to illegal immigrants, we must weed them out,” said DPM Pratt. “The market is for Bahamians, there’s no question about that. So those illegal persons who are there must go, there is no question. That’s why Immigration will be speaking to the vendors.”
DPM Pratt added that her recent visit to the straw market, revealed just how bad the illegal immigration problem has become.
“Those persons who are there illegally, must be removed” she said. “When I did the tour on Monday, not one of them were out, not one. Obviously, the word had gone around that I was coming. So that tells you there is a problem. As soon as I left, the next day or two, they were out again. The market must be made for Bahamians alone and we must address it.”
The hiring of ‘illegals’ to work in the straw market, has come under fire in recent months.
Straw market stall owners were warned in September, to stop hiring illegal immigrants or risk losing their licenses, after then Trade and Industry Minister Leslie Miller said, the practice would not be tolerated.
“As it is now, it is so difficult to keep a check on what is going on, under the circumstances that they now operate. But certainly, we would not wish to have anyone in there that is not supposed to be there and who is working illegally,” Mr Miller said.
Minister Miller further warned that Department of Immigration raids will continue to be carried out. But he was quick to add, that if illegal immigrants are in the straw market, they are not there of their own accord.
“They are in there, because Bahamians who have the stalls in either their names or their parents’ names, are hiring them to do the work, while they are at their high class jobs.
They are the ones who should be responsible for having illegal immigrants, if they are there in the straw market,” Minister Miller said in September.
By: JASMIN BONIMY and LARISSA SAWYER, The Nassau Guardian
