Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Brent Symonette took a lot of heat recently when he announced that the Bahamas supports a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution that affirms equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people.
But when the government received a formal request, given to it by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Regional Office suggesting The Bahamas stop repatriating illegal Haitian nationals on certain grounds, Symonette said… no way!
Symmonette, who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs (with responsibility for immigration) told the press that the government’s position has not changed since it announced last week that repatriations would continue, unless there are drastic changes on the ground in Haiti that would warrant ceasing repatriation exercises.
A similar request was made by the UNHCR following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. At that time, The Bahamas stopped repatriating illegal Haitian nationals and gave temporary status to those Haitians who were locked up in the Detention Centre on Carmichael Road.
This time the government is blowing off the UNHCR request.
“We’re a sovereign country and obviously we have to review issues on the ground (in Haiti) and unless things change in Haiti our policy will remain the same,” Symonette said last week.
