By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
PANAMANIAN officials stationed in New Providence have been waiting for the government to respond to their requests for a meeting for the past six days.
On Sunday, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said there was no standing offer from Panama to take 19 asylum seekers from The Bahamas despite published news reports. He said Bahamian officials had asked Panama for a formal explanation of those reports.
However, when The Tribune spoke to Panama’s Honorary Consul General David McGrath, he confirmed that Panamanian officials were still waiting for an appointment.
“I cannot make any further comments on the matter as we are waiting to get a meeting with the Bahamas government,” he said.
“We have been trying for five or six days.”
Mr McGrath insisted that he was not placing blame on foreign affairs officials, but that there has been a break down of communication leading to a delay of the discussions.
Mr Mitchell has confirmed that there are 18 people in The Bahamas who have been adjudged to have asylum status. Ten of them have been accepted by the United States and eight appear to be eligible to go to third countries. If Panama makes an offer for the eight then they are free to go to Panama, Mr Mitchell said.
Comments
hotep86 10 years, 8 months ago
Waiting for an appointment to see someone and sending a FORMAL letter (government to government) are two different things! That's not the way to handle diplomacy Mr. Honorary Consul.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 8 months ago
I don't know the proper protocols of diplomacy but this seems a little silly to me...deporting the migrants while Panama had expressed some interest in taking them seems to have exploded a big stink bomb...why not reach out and try to diffuse the situation...
hotep86 10 years, 8 months ago
Actually, the Minister just said in his press release yesterday, and so did Ileana Ros (US Congresswoman) that the group repatriated were not the same group the Panamanians were referring to.
spoitier 10 years, 8 months ago
Since they are still waiting, don't let them leave empty handed. They could take everybody else in the detention center.
Tarzan 10 years, 8 months ago
Spoltier, Rory and This is Ours:
You are all right.
It is a good idea to go out of your way to alienate a very important political faction in the country that supplies approximately 95% of your gross national product, just because you love the Castro Brothers.
Excellent service to the Bahamas by its Foreign Minister.
I mean never miss a chance to stick your thumb in the eye of your best customers. Good policy. Oh, did the bad old U.S. tell you to take your nominee for Ambassador and stick him someplace else? Don't be embarrassed or humiliated. Who needs 300,000,000 potential tourists when you can attract all those "traveling Cubans" who subsist on $5 a day in their workers paradise.
spoitier 10 years, 8 months ago
Both the Bahamas and the U.S deport Cubans back to Cuba every year. Firstly, what make these 24 more important than the rest? Secondly, those couple of politicians doesn't speak on behalf of the American Government. Lastly, you can't crumble to any and every pressure that comes your way, because they would always be pressure coming your way.
justthefactsplease 10 years, 8 months ago
The problem with giving them a free pass to another country or even keeping them though is that you create a perpetual problem of illiegals coming here becuase they know they will get assylum. We must uphold they law of the land ... even if we lose somethings in return ... a free-for-all will benefit no one.
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