199 Haitians caught on sloop

The wooden sailing sloop containing 199 Haitian migrants that was stopped off North Andros.

As of Monday, June 13, 2016

THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force apprehended 199 Haitian migrants off the west coast of northern Andros on Friday.

The RBDF fast patrol craft P129, under coxswain Petty Officer Acadia Smith, was on routine patrol near North Andros when it was diverted to investigate the sighting, which was initially reported by police in Red Bays, North Andros.

Upon arrival in the area of Cross Cays off the west coast of northern Andros, P129 apprehended the migrants aboard a wooden sailing sloop.

The migrants were in urgent need of food and water which were provided by locals from the Red Bays community.

HMBS Lignum Vitae, commanded by Senior Lieutenant Bertrum Bowleg, was also deployed to take the large number of migrants to New Providence yesterday to be handed over to immigration authorities in New Providence.

A group of Cuban migrants were taken to the West End, Grand Bahama, Police Station yesterday after apparently being dropped off at a property in Old Bahama Bay. They were reportedto have been told by a boat captain that they were in south Florida.

Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 10 months ago

This boat load were counting on the "yes" vote winning the recent referendum! They will be sorely disappointed to hear that didn't happen.

Reality_Check 7 years, 10 months ago

Listed below are several of the arguments that have been used by misguided people to try and justify illegal immigration. Next to each is the reason why each of these arguments has no merit.

1) They are an economic necessity - Not true. The idea that a bunch of desperately poor, uneducated, unskilled, illegal foreigners are an economic necessity is ludicrous. In fact, when you compare cost vs. benefit, it is obvious that they are not only NOT a necessity; they are not even an asset. Rather, they are a liability and a huge one at that.

2) They do work Bahamians won’t do - Not true. They do work Bahamians won’t do for $5 an hour (especially if Bahamians can get non-productive jobs in an already bloated public sector or government handouts of one kind or another forever). Of course, if you got rid of the illegals, the jobs wouldn't pay $5 an hour. The people who wanted the work done would have to pay a wage that was attractive enough to get Bahamians to do the work. And it might even be enough so Bahamians could support themselves and get off the government gravy train that is killing private sector taxpayers!!

3) They work & contribute to our society - So do I. And if I break the law and commit crimes, I can expect to pay a penalty of some kind. Anything from a small fine to the death penalty. I do NOT get rewarded. This argument makes no sense.

4) They are just trying to make better lives - Aren't we all? The difference is that most of us understand that we don’t have a right to acquire by illegal means those things that we find difficult to acquire by legal means. And we certainly don’t have the right to do it in a foreign country. China certainly does not allow foreigners to enter their country illegally and break its laws. If you believe differently, go give it a try. Call me collect from the dungeon. Let me know how it went.....

5) It is impossible to round up and deport the illegals - We don’t have to. All we have to do is remove the incentives that brought them here in the first place. No jobs. No housing. No services, i.e. no education and minimal health and other benefits. Once we remove the incentives that brought them here, they will leave on their own.

6) It would be too expensive to round them up and deport them - See #5 above.

Continued.....see 7), 8), and 9) in next post immediately below.

Reality_Check 7 years, 10 months ago

Continued from post immediately above.

7) Immigration control is racist - This is just another play of the race card by people who have no other cards to play. Immigration control is the worldwide status quo. There is nothing racist about it. Furthermore, the Bahamas welcomes LEGAL immigrants of all races and ethnicity from all over the world who have gone through the legal immigration process. This is not just a bad argument; it is an attempt to create hatred and division. Racist is their code word for patriot.

8) We are a nation of immigrants - We are a nation that has, historically, allowed and even encouraged legal immigration. And we continue to do so. The issue at hand is illegal immigration, which has nothing to do with legal immigration. This argument is totally irrelevant. Illegal aliens are not good people; they lack the morals to respect our laws!

9) They are people. We must treat them humanely - Yes & yes. But lets not pretend like they are victims who were dragged here kicking and screaming against their will. Nothing could be further from the truth. They came of their own free will and for their own benefit and they broke the law to do it. People should not be rewarded for breaking laws and committing crimes. Sending them home is the right thing to do. There is nothing “draconian” about it.

Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 10 months ago

When it comes to illegal immigrants from Haiti, our corrupt politicians (whether PLP, FNM or DNA) will do the bare minimum necessary; they will APPEAR to be doing something about it but with no intent at all of ACTUALLY stopping the problem, just like they are now doing with the Chinese. The corrupt Christie-led PLP government and the likes of Sean McWeeney, Rubie Nottage and Allyson Maynard-Gibson WANT as many illegals as possible here. All current PLP parliamentarians do. Those are thousands and thousands of future voters, one way or another because even without amnesty every child they manage to plop out on Bahamian soil is another lifetime PLP voter, one that can't ever be taken away. We are betrayed from within. Thank heavens Bahamians voted a resounding "No!" in last Tuesday's referendum which was mainly about legalizing illegal immigrants, i.e. buying votes in exchange for granting Bahamian citizenship or permanent residency status.

Economist 7 years, 10 months ago

How did the boat get that far north without the Defence Force seeing?

Where are all the defence force boats? What are they doing with them? Why are they not patrolling the waters off Inagua?

The distance between Cuba and the northeast boarder is not much more than 90 miles. The Windward Passage is only 50 miles wide. Two Defence force vessels should be able easily stop any boats.

They are being paid to protect us.

Economist 7 years, 10 months ago

That is the northeast boarder of Haiti.

SP 7 years, 10 months ago

..... $230M wasted on crafts and the dam Haitians still sail right through to Andros? .....

PLEASE for love of country lets rid ourselves of the PLP and FNM group of abject failures!

Economist 7 years, 10 months ago

Precisely! 6 new vessels, 4 large ones.

birdiestrachan 7 years, 10 months ago

All of those people have people in the Bahamas waiting for them. with homes and places to stay, they do not just come with no connections in the Bahamas. This is a serious matter. This is one of my reasons for voting no to three of the questions. Immigration has serious problems and so does the defense force..

bogart 7 years, 10 months ago

EXCELLENT POINTS! In a few years if these points are not acted on,our Bahamaland will be colonized by Haitians who despite free medicals, free schooling will naturally be aligned to the greater majority 12 million Haitians in Haiti. Majority rules. The Bahamian Haitians wearing Haitian shirts after pledging Allegiance to the Bahamian flag who would have gained assets, capital will hire at cheaper wages labour from their homeland.

sheeprunner12 7 years, 10 months ago

It's a head scratcher ............ until you understand the underground cartel of human smugglers and work permit holders in high political positions in The Bahamas

bogart 7 years, 10 months ago

The majority of Bahamians have been reduced to a struggling population trying to make ends meet catching hell and calling it a good time. But don't you hate it when you see the Haitian flag racing through the streets of Nassau and on closer inspection or google the flag come to realize that the motto is Strength in Unity under the Haitian flag and has a crest with six long guns or rifles with six bayonets. Plus it also has cannons and cannonballs. It is actually illegal to be riding through Nassau with a foreign flag but then again the law enforcement does little to enforce laws on persons running through Nassau with another country's flag above our beloved Bahamas flag which don't have no guns on it and our coat of arms which also does not have any guns on it. Just google.

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