The Tribune

The Bahamas recently changed its approach to immigration including introducing a belonger’s permit. Haitian Ambassador Jean Victor Geneus spoke to The Tribune’s Ava Turnquest about those changes and how they are failing to tackle the immigration problem . . .

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

HAITIAN Ambassador Jean Victor Geneus’ bold, and arguably calculated, assessment of the country’s rigid immigration policy last week shook out the rug on the social impact that the inflexible system has had on the country’s largest migrant community.

From its rushed roll-out nearly two years ago, to the persistent misconceptions of the process, the Haitian ambassador’s comments suggest that conditions for persons of Haitian descent have not improved, but worsened. And his decision to air those concerns with The Tribune and the wider public in the absence of any formal diplomatic talks with the government implies an undercurrent of frustration and growing impatience among Haitian officials towards the perceived systemic discrimination and exploitation of their people and their descendants.

“The two governments must work together to find a way to implement some agreements signed years ago, so far only the migration question seems to interest the Bahamian government,” Mr Geneus said.

“Haiti is interested in cultural exchange, trade, all activities that can get us closer because we are neighbours but it seems to me that we don’t know each other enough. The closest island to Haiti is only 88 km. We share some common history.”

He continued: “We have to do all we can to get closer to each other. Sometimes we are very concerned about what we interpret as discriminatory decisions against Haitians.”

It can’t be forgotten that Stephen Dillett, the first black man to sit in the House of Assembly, was Haitian. He was returned to the House in 1833 and remained there for 33 years. During that time he was also the island’s coroner and postmaster.

Fresh off a mission in Cuba, Mr Geneus has only been in this country for 10 months. A veteran politician, he has served in government as a Cabinet minister and held posts in Argentina, and such US cities as Boston and Chicago.

One salient observation has been the marked difference in how countries integrate migrant communities through the celebration of cultural diversity.

“We understand that here in the Bahamas there is the Haitian-Bahamian, and when they celebrate their cultural heritage Bahamians interpret it, see it as a threat to their culture. But in every country, like in the US, the Irish, Italian, the Greek, they celebrate their cultural heritage. I understand that the Bahamas has a population of less than half a million, but I think the celebration of the Haitian heritage is a contribution to the diversity of culture.

“The government of the Bahamas should encourage this kind of celebration,” he said.

“There are other aspects of Haitian cultural heritage, it is not only flag day. Here in the Haitian-Bahamian community you have very talented people. I have met some of them, sometimes you don’t even realise that they have Haitian roots.”

Mr Geneus underscored that in Cuba there were persons of Haitian descent at all levels of society. He also pointed out that persons of Haitian descent served as elected officials in congress and municipal government in the United States.

“Definitely there is a lot to learn,” he said, “the Bahamas can learn a lot from Cuba. Cuba encourages cultural diversity and you have a lot of activities financed by the government of Cuba like they give cultural groups funding.

The Bahamian Haitians will pay attention to their cultural heritage and at the same time promoting Bahamian culture because the Bahamian Haitians will know more about Bahamian culture than Haitian culture. They will receive elements of Haitian culture from their parents while the Bahamian culture is day-to-day.”

Mr Geneus’ courtesy call to The Tribune is part of a national mandate from Haiti’s interim President Jocelerme Privert, who has directed the heads of diplomatic missions throughout the world to inform host countries of Haiti’s current situation.

Haiti staged its presidential elections in October last year; however, the results were scrapped after an audit revealed findings of significant fraud. It is unclear whether this political uncertainty emboldened Mr Geneus to significantly move the goal post from the lukewarm observations of his predecessors.

His sobering remarks were met by an equally measured response from Immigration and Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell, on whom the peculiar nature of the remarks was not lost.

In the House of Assembly on Wednesday, Mr Mitchell clarified several assertions made by Mr Geneus that he termed as “materially incorrect.” His response came the day after Ambassador Geneus said that the introduction of the belonger’s permit did not solve the immigration problem, pointing to a backlog of some 2,000 applicants waiting for the “restrictive” document.

Mr Mitchell clarified that there were 598 applications for these permits with 338 already processed.

Mr Geneus also claimed that persons applying for a belonger’s permit were required to leave the country to apply - which is only true for foreigners seeking a work permit.

Mr Mitchell said: “This morning (Wednesday) I asked the ambassador to attend a meeting with myself and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where I told the ambassador that I could not allow those allegations to stand. They are all materially incorrect.

“There is no requirement for people applying for the belonger’s permit to do so outside of the country. This policy applies to work permit applicants who are applying for the first time. There is no policy of profiling of Haitians and the policy is not discriminatory toward Haitians. The policy is a generic policy which applies to all non-nationals.”

Mr Geneus’ uncertainty of the immigration policy is worrisome, and serves as a litmus test for the vast misconceptions of the policy that have been lasting throughout the region since its implementation.

On the matter of profiling, however; the two men will have to agree to disagree.

“It is not a perception,” Mr Geneus emphatically stated. “It is a reality because there have been recurrent actions of immigration officials even in public transportation. Definitely there is profiling because many times Bahamians have been arrested and then they find out that they are not Haitians, they are Bahamian.

“If the process is very complicated, and it takes years to regularise your situation, your status here in the country, and at the same time finding yourself in a position where anytime day or night you can be victim of a crackdown - this definitely has a psychological impact on you.”

He added: “The consequences are so tremendous that there are Haitians, they are afraid of sending their kids to school, afraid to bring their kids to the hospital for fear of being nabbed up by immigration officers and deported.”

Notwithstanding his noble charge, Mr Geneus’ remarks have a very layered context.

On Wednesday, Mr Mitchell added: “I also indicated that one would expect that in relations between friendly countries, no such statement should be made which takes the other by surprise.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised me that there is no record of a request for any meeting by the embassy on this matter since the ambassador’s tenure.”

Mr Mitchell’s reaction to Mr Geneus’ unfettered remarks is reasonable. If not unprecedented, it is certainly curious for a diplomatic official to speak so liberally on such a contentious and divisive issue.

With Haiti’s presidential elections and the threat of even greater political instability looming overhead, Mr Geneus’ decision to suspend diplomatic courtesy is anything but benign given that the Bahamas is also readying itself for a contentious and fragile election cycle. With politics here historically being driven by a two-party system, the sustained implosion of the opposition Free National Movement has levelled the playing field considerably for a vulnerably and disenchanted electorate to be further split by third party and independent candidates. The power of the controversial Haitian-Bahamian vote will be at its peak, and while precarious to navigate for Bahamian politicians, it is not lost on the community. Mr Geneus’ unflinching observations could be interpreted as a bold gut check to aspiring lawmakers that empty rhetoric and predatory campaigns, and scapegoating will be called out and rejected.

“Yes they (politicians) are aware (of voting power),” Mr Geneus said, “because I was recently at CARICOM in Guyana and I met a parliament member part of the delegation. He was telling me about the importance of the Bahamian Haitian vote and that he wanted to meet with me in the Bahamas. Also in Abaco where the population of Bahamian Haitians is high, the candidate should normally be interested in obtaining the Haitian vote or guaranteeing a percentage of this vote.”

He added: “It will be (important), because a few thousand votes can tip the balance.”

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