The Tribune

THE Department of Immigration continued its deportation exercises yesterday, repatriating 62 Haitian nationals on a chartered Bahamasair flight from Lynden Pindling International Airport.

The group comprised 48 men and 14 women and was accompanied by eight immigration officers.

Minister of State for Immigration Darron Pickstock said the operation forms part of the government's intensified crackdown on immigration violations.

He said overstaying remains one of the most common offences and warned that the ministry is taking a zero-tolerance approach.

“We just want to emphasise the importance of employers ensuring that they have renewed their employees’ work permit on time,” he said. “The major issue is that we’re seeing overstays whether its overstaying your visitors’ visa or just overstaying when your work permit is not renewed.”

He committed the department to being firm, but fair as he addressed concerns about officers’ handling of persons of interest.

It  came after a businessman claimed on Facebook that his female employee of Jamaican descent was “dragged” from work and treated unfairly by immigration officers earlier this week.

The employee alleged that she was shoved onto an immigration bus and intimidated by a female officer who gestured as though she would hit her.

In a statement last week, the ministry declined to comment on any specific allegation, but said members of the public should be assured that every complaint is treated with the utmost seriousness.