The Tribune

IT’S hard to disagree with Rohan Kerr.

As the government tries to convince people of its new policy with regard to immigration, the well-known restaurateur says “stick to the constitution”.

He makes a good point – policies come and go, but the constitution endures.

Earlier this week, we mentioned the story of a brother and sister made to wait five years for their citizenship applications. Well, Mr Kerr is in the same boat with regard to his son. He applied for his son’s status between the age of 18 and 19, just as stated in the constitution and just as the government wants to tighten the rules on, in its changes. Mr Kerr has been waiting three years. And counting. His son’s Belonger’s permit – one of those previous policy changes – expires this year. As Mr Kerr says, after that expires, what happens?

He tells a tale of lost files, conflicting advice – even a request for “side money” of $500 on a $75 permit. And this is the department that is magically going to process everyone’s applications in six months?

Add to this Fred Mitchell - stepping into the role of the boy who pointed at the Emperor’s New Clothes – as he points at the citizenship changes to say there’s nothing there, and we do wonder where the substance is in these proposals.

After the six-month period for those older than 18 to try to get their applications, what happens next? If the department can’t sort out their paperwork in time, where do the applicants go from there? And if someone doesn’t apply – for whatever reason, be it the difficulty of tracking down paperwork or just because they miss that deadline – how do these proposals supercede the constitution itself? Why do these proposals need to trump the constitution? Shouldn’t that take precedence?

More than that, there is no reason to keep messing people around with changing regulations. Whether it’s sending them to get Belonger’s permits under one policy, telling them to get Haitian passports under another, or what the latest changes will bring, it causes people confusion, financial cost as they try to jump through the latest hoop, and anxiety.

Here’s a suggestion: get the system working properly, so people can see they can make their application and get the response quickly and efficiently. Make the application process a matter of a few weeks rather than a few years. Once people see the system operating smoothly, that in itself will be an incentive for others to apply, rather than get lost in the maze of paperwork they currently find themselves trapped in. A functional system should be the starting point – those applying deserve nothing less.

Reaching children in need

As we lament the figures that show 300 child abuse cases in the past five years in Grand Bahama, we also welcome the acceptance that something needs to be done about it.

Neglect is the most common issue, but all aspects of child abuse can have effects that stay with its victims throughout their lives.

There is more to be done, of course – there always will be. A series of events on the island are welcome to raise awareness, but we hope those sessions will also offer practical help to those affected, and offer a helpline for those children in need who might not be able to go to a church service because their abuser will punish them for it, or be denied a chance to go to an empowerment fair. Too many of those in trouble will not have the opportunity to go to such events – and what happens in the hours between, when a child needs help and there’s no one close by. These are the children we have to reach – and give them the chance to speak out when they need, knowing someone will be there to listen.