DNA Leader Branville McCartney called on the government to focus its attentions on illegal immigration instead of legal foreign workers who are here “legally contributing” to society.
“There has been a lot of talk recently about the restriction of work permits within the next year by this PLP administration,’ he said.
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs stated recently that within a year work permits will not be issued for certain classes of workers, namely maids, housekeepers and labourers.
“The point made by the Minister is that these are jobs that Bahamians can do and that they will work with the Department of Labour and the National Training Programme to ensure that Bahamians are trained to do these jobs.
“The PLP should know that firstly this is a choice issue for Bahamians as to whether they are willing to do these jobs and then it becomes a training issue. After a public outcry on such a policy by individuals in the community, business owners and potential investors, the Minister rebutted by saying that the earlier position espoused by him was just to start a public discussion on the matter. We therefore wait in anticipation on what the policy of this government will be after the “public discussion”.
“What needs no public discussion is the profound illegal immigration mess this country faces. This indeed is perhaps the most paramount concern of the immigration department to date. Just look around our country and listen and your questions on illegal immigration in the Bahamas would be answered. We have an illegal immigration problem in this country of mammoth proportions,” Mr McCartney said.
In 2009, it was determined that there were 37 shantytowns in New Providence alone. According to Mr McCartney, it is a known fact that these shantytowns are places where for the most part illegals live, criminals seek refuge, and the living conditions are “inhumane”.
“The use of BEC is allowed illegally, the water table is contaminated and buildings are erected without building permits. Women of the night, barbershops, food stores, number houses and churches, just to name a few, are in these shantytowns. Any and everything is allowed in these places that should be condemned but it seems like administration after administration lacks the political will to eradicate this problem.
“The Democratic National Alliance is asking the PLP government whether they will be the same type of administration that we have seen for the last 40 years that lacks the political will to deal with our illegal immigration problem?”
“The illegal immigration problem costs our country every day the good Lord sends. It contributes to our crime problem and it is a continuous drain on our health care system, on our schools and on our social services department,” he said.
“The DNA would like to know what is the PLP’s immigration policy on illegal immigration in the Bahamas and, if they do have a policy whether they can provide the public with a copy of the policy. We think it is time that the Bahamian people deserve to have proper representation that is in their best interest and to know exactly what this administration that ‘Believes in Bahamians’ is going to do with one of the most vexing problems this country faces.
“The silence by this PLP administration in this regard is most deafening.”
Comments
John 11 years ago
Ok lets deal with th illegal immigration problem and not just the Hatian problem: What about those companies that bring in foreign workers as tourists and have them working from hotel rooms? Consultants, accountants engineers, high, pofesioal people that re highy paid, working illegally and paying for no work permits..no NIB, and gettng all the perks of the job? Some displacing qualified Bahamians.?
Ironvelvet 11 years ago
I was just having a conversation with a friend last night on this very issue. It is highly disturbing to think that shantytowns exist in our Bahamaland and to know that people are aware of them.
Illegal immigration should be dealt with. Many people don't want to deal with the immigrant population because its 'expensive'. Well the squalor that these people live in will produce future citizens of this country that have no faith and no love in their land. A coup d' etat is imminent in the near future whether people want to admit that or not. The mere fact that fire engines could not enter the mud because of the violent behavior of the illegal residents is only the beginning. When one lives in a savage environment, their mentality is savage.
Either civilize/socialize them, deport those here illegally, or reap the hell that will reign on this country as their population grows.
TalRussell 11 years ago
I ain't know what kind of music Comrade "Bran" is playing when he's demanding minister Fred dance to his immigration beat but wasn't he a red shirts junior immigration minister when the Hubert regime turned a blind eye to the shantytowns being allowed to grow to the astonishing number of 39? I believe the true number is in the 50's range.
.Sorry "Bran" but you are seen by the vast majority of Bahamians as a politician who is so damn badly lacking when it comes to projecting anything close to a clear policy on illegal immigration. Not true of minister Fred and if you don't believe he's serious you just watch him?
Let me ask you to provide Tribune readers with a copy of the DNA's policy on shantytowns during the 2012 General Elections that was any different than your former boss-man Hubert's when he went as far as to condone the visiting Haitian President holding an election rallying call on Bahamaland's soil, which included thousands of residents from these same 39 illegal shantytowns you talk about?
I ain't know if the PLP cabinet has the political way or the damn will necessary to finally deal with putting a full stop to the "rubber stamping" of work permits and turning a blind eye to the "outright lies" that often accompany these permit applications for foreigners to be employed, over out of paycheck Bahamians ...but Comrade minister Fred sure as hell is a man who has the will.
Amen!
I want the minister and his ministry staff to learn to do a new dance to greet each and every questionable work permit application with their new NO No dance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9JJmh...">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9JJmh...
spoitier 11 years ago
he did resign as the junior minister of immigratin before leaving the FNM, maybe the Immigration problem was part of the reason for him leaving.
john33xyz 11 years ago
Yes, he went to the Immigration office (main) to speak with one of his officers and DISCOVERED that the officer had been transferred to the airport (this was a senior officer) without his knowledge. He discussed with Cabinet but received no sane reply - so he resigned. That is the right thing to do when your boss won't let you do your job. If he won't let you do it, then he needs to do it himself or find someone else.
Bran is simply too good of a man, too hardworking, and too honest to ever be elected PM in a country grown from a seed of piracy.
He won't win election in 2017. Bahamians will find a new crook to elect instead. Then in 2023 we will have our first Haitian-Bahamian PM.
Hon. Mitchell can close the barn door now if he wants - but the horses have already left the stable.
lazybor 11 years ago
this is a problem that must be seriously dealt with
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holymoly 10 years, 2 months ago
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leonardo85 10 years, 1 month ago
Branville McCartney is absolutely right about this immigration issue, the government should take steps against illegal immigrants and not against the legal ones. A company has to be careful while hiring immigrants, it has to make sure that the workers are legal immigrants. Likewise a company also needs to take legal steps to protect its intellectual property. There are law firms around like http://www.zarleylaw.com/">Zarley Law Firm, P.L.C. which deals with intellectual property matters, you can contact them for help online as well.
mike06 10 years ago
He is right. They don`t have to atack the legal workers. The poor people who work legally have to be defended. James Hoffman is a lawyer that protects the workers rights. You can find more informations about him on this site http://www.jamesphoffman.com/">http://www.jamesphoffman.com/
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