While a first generation of Haitians cower in fear, a second and third generation, born and bred in the Bahamas, are growing defiantly bitter. One only has to recall the recent destruction in Paris by rioting, jobless young immigrants to understand what is in store for the Bahamas in the not too distant future. There are already rumblings at the bedrock of this society.
Instead of building bridges, we are erecting barriers between two groups of people of the same ethnic background, but one of whom speaks a foreign tongue. We are creating a “them” and “us” society in which hatred will eventually pit “them” violently against “us.”
Every Bahamian government has had its Haitian roundups and repatriations at tremendous cost to the taxpayer, but no government has succeeded in solving the problem. The Haitian problem cannot be solved until a government is willing to face it, formulate a humane plan of action, and enforce it. The avoidance of the issue, has created an atmosphere in which corruption, once planted, is now flourishing. It is this corruption that will defeat all attempts to solve the Haitian crisis.
For example, we had a telephone call Wednesday night from a Bahamian reporting on Immigration raids at various premises that morning. The caller alleged that a certain place of business had been raided and several undocumented Haitians discovered.
What agitated this caller was his belief that because the owner of these premises had friends in high places his undocumented Haitians were not taken into custody, yet Haitians; legally in the Bahamas with valid documents, were pulled from their beds in North Eleuthera, herded onto a boat and brought to Nassau for incarceration in the Detention Centre. If it weren’t for the protests of Spanish Wells Chief Councillor Abner Pinder, who followed them to Nassau, and demanded their release, they might still be there.
As Mr Pinder commented, it was foolish for the police to pull sleeping Haitians from their beds, because they should have known that they were only at home that night because they were secure in the knowledge that they were legal residents. Word had circulated in the community the night before that there would be a dawn raid, and so anyone who was illegal had already vanished, Mr Pinder said.
A few weeks ago, we were told of a jamtress who came to work in floods of tears. Asked the problem, she said her two sons had been picked up in a Haitian raid and were being held by police.
The next day this same mother was at work, happy as a jay bird. Asked why smiles had replaced tears, she replied that she now had her sons back. The price? More than $800 – all of her worldly savings.
In all branches of the services – police, defence force and immigration- – there are fine, dedicated men and women determined to give their country honest service. However, there are also too many among them who are not so dedicated.
Recently an officer told us of the levels to which corruption -has risen among some of them.
During raids, we were told, corrupt officers could make anywhere from $800 to $1000 from an immigrant’s household. If a legal immigrant is picked up in a raid and does not have his work permit on him, he is charged $250 before he is released.
If this is in fact the case each raid produces those who can pay the extortion money and are released back into the community, and those who can’t and are returned to Haiti.
Also if what we have been told is true, the underground work permit system is still operational with “the man” producing the certificates at a price. If “the price” is not readily available a percentage of an immigrant’s salary is collected until the debt is paid with interest.
The shake-downs continue with some immigrants, even those with permits, going to and from work at unusual hours to avoid the man in uniform.
This is only one of the many problems that government has – and all governments have had – in grappling with the illegal immigrant problem.
We all know – even the Haitians – that the Bahamas cannot support the numbers that have found their way into the country – reportedly 30,000 of them. However, the animosity between Bahamian and Haitian will grow until the flow of illegals can be stopped.
This will not be done until corruption is stamped out, and corruption will continue to flourish until the position of Haitians who are entitled to be in the Bahamas are given legal status. The authorities can then concentrate on repatriating those who have no rights to remain.
Editorial from The Tribune
