The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A 16-year-old girl from Freeport who was among a group of Haitians picked up by the US Coast Guard while attempting to illegally enter the United States, is back in Freeport with her legal guardian.

The girl was turned over to Bahamian authorities and subsequently released last Friday in the care of her father in New Providence.

The minor was on a boat with a number of Haitians when they were interdicted by US authorities on the seas two weeks ago. All of the migrants have been reportedly sent back to Haiti.

The young girl was born in the Bahamas to Haitian parents. Her father has permanent residence status in the Bahamas and lives in Nassau. She has a sibling living in Florida, but lives with her aunt in Grand Bahama, The Tribune was told.

“She is now back in Freeport with me,” her aunt told The Tribune on Wednesday.

The aunt, who is her legal guardian in Freeport, was concerned about her niece’s welfare and wondered whether she would be returned to the Bahamas or sent to the Detention Centre and deported to Haiti.

The new immigration policy implemented on November 1 requires all persons living in the Bahamas to have a passport of their nationality with proof that they can live and work here legally.

Jetta Baptiste, a well-known advocate of the Haitian-Bahamian community, said the new policy is illegal and violates people’s constitutional rights. She also said the fact that government has stopped issuing travel documents is depriving minors born in the Bahamas to foreign parents of the ability to travel legally to the US.

“With the US returning the minor to the Bahamas, what does it mean? Obviously... they don’t recognise it. If Bahamian authorities accepted her back in the country, how does it affect the policy?”

Ms Baptiste said that depriving minors of a travel document will cause others to risk their lives on the seas.

“If a 16-year-old can’t get a travel document to go to Florida, that is not fair to them,” she said.

“Why are they not giving them travel documents anymore so they can travel legally? They are (government) causing people to risk their lives to go on boats; how could you deprive a child born in the Bahamas of that right?” she said.

Ms Baptiste called on the Bahamas government to change that aspect of the new policy. “It is unjust, give them documents so they can travel legally. When they had the travel documents, they were able to get student visas.”

She also wanted to know why government has stop issuing the certificate of identity.

“It was as good as a travel document. They need to reissue people those travel documents,” she said.