The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

IMMIGRATION Director William Pratt yesterday issued a stern warning to illegal migrants to leave the country forthwith or face capture and deportation by officials who continue to clamp down on migration problems in The Bahamas.

Mr Pratt told reporters yesterday while in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, there has been an increase of illegals coming into The Bahamas, which signals a need for an increase in funding for the Department of Immigration in the 2015/2016 budget.

He said immigration officials have requested more money as preparations are being made for the budget presentation, which is set to take place in June.

However, he was unable to say how much they would need in the new budget cycle. He said he was certain the Immigration Department would need more than the usual $1m that is usually allocated to it.

“If you are here illegally,” Mr Pratt said, “you need to leave forthwith and have your respective employers submit proper documents to have you legally employed because if you fail to do that you will be caught and you will be repatriated.

“More illegals are coming in and it is a serious threat for us now because we notice a trend where they are coming by motor vessels that are registered in other nations.

“Just last week the (Royal Bahamas) Defence Force apprehended about 10 illegals in Inagua who were on a motor vessel United States registered. So that is creating a challenge for us. In addition we notice a trend where children are coming, even babies in the arms, so that is a serious challenge.

“We have requested an increase in our budget and I think (the Ministry of) Finance at the end of the day will give us an increase which I wouldn’t know what it would be as yet. We have to start with a minimum of $1.2m. Normally they would give us a million but normally we would ask for an addition to the million.”

On Wednesday, Minister of Immigration Fred Mitchell told parliamentarians that this country had recently seen an influx of illegal migrants that will cost the government more than $83,000 to repatriate.

In an interception that happened last week in Bimini, 168 people – 103 men, 28 women and 37 children – some of them being “babes in arms” were captured by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.

Mr Mitchell said the children were not being housed at the Detention Centre, but at a safe house.

A group of Haitians were also repatriated on Monday at a cost of $16,000.

The Christie administration continues to work with countries in the region with a view to stopping illegal migration and bringing it under control, the minister said.