The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

A potential crisis and grave political embarrassment for the new administration has collided with hundreds of Haitian refugees entering our waters. We are facing a refugee crisis of historic proportions and it does not involve the coronavirus.

Over the past decade, Haiti has suffered from extreme natural disasters, poverty, and as of late, political unrest. And many of these Haitian families have uprooted their lives fleeing the violence and instability in their country and trying to make good their escape even if it means sacrificing their own lives for a better life. This tells me, this country is in a very bad state for these individuals to carry out such a suicidal attempt.

It is alleged that nearly nine hundred refugees are in the hands of the Department of Immigration and they are being held on the island of Inagua. Those resident islanders are uneasy with all of this recent development. And I cannot blame them as it relates to health and safety concerns.

We need a solution to this crisis. Far too long our policies have been weak as it relates to immigration. We need a tune balance of security, efficiency, and humanity. We need a comprehensive immigration reform that provides more resources, such as immigration judges that would allow people to have their claims promptly considered and either relief or be deported.

These numbers are increasing and will continue to increase possibly. This is a grave concern and should be a concern for all citizens alike. While it is we sympathize with these people, we must too take into consideration that we are still in a global pandemic where cases are continuously increasing, and the death toll is rising. We are not in the position or should ever be in the position that puts the lives of the Bahamian people at risk.

This is becoming an obdurate problem and we have to set our minds to address these components. These refugee crises are not just here in the Bahamas, but also around the world. Namely, America at the southern border as they are too dealing with this same trend.

If we are going to fix this crisis before it gets out of hand, it requires international participation. Seeking help from other countries. We have to devote all of our resources at this time to process quickly and humanely those individuals that are entering illegally.

We must make the world know that we do not have an open entry policy for migrants so that our waters and islands are not filled with thousands of refugees with the thought that entry to the Bahamas is easy, legal, and free.

If we are going to save ourselves this crisis, we need reinforcement and we must act now before it is too late.

DR MATHEO SMITH

Nassau,

September 29, 2021.