Xenophobia In The Bahamas: Haitian Ambassador Addresses Fred Mitchell
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
Nassau, The BahamasTHE Haitian ambassador to the Organisation of American States raised concerns yesterday about xenophobia and mistreatment of Haitians in the Bahamas during a special OAS sitting in Washington, DC.
Addressing
Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell, Ambassador
Bocchit Edmond called on the Bahamas government to consider launching a
public campaign designed to underscore the notion that “verbal abuse” of
Haitians is “unfair and unjust”.
Mr
Edmond frequently emphasised that he did not wish to “cast aspersions”
on the decisions of the Bahamian government, but he nonetheless raised
several concerns about the policy measures this country has taken to
deal with illegal immigration.
In
his response, Mr Mitchell rejected suggestions of widespread abuse of
Haitians and noted that the Bahamas government does not sanction
discrimination.
“...I
would like to raise the concern of my government as to the verbal abuse
to which Haitian immigrants have been exposed in the Bahamas,” Mr
Edmond said. “As you may know, sir, there are many great Haitians
presently in the Bahamas, but that indeed have been in line with the
immigration requirements for years…and yet too many of them are victims
of certain abuse and denigrating (remarks) and I should go as far as to
say frankly rankly discriminating behaviour simply because they are
Haitians.”
“Then
there are black Bahamians who are summarily interpreted as being
Haitian and who have been subjected to the same treatment for that
reason. I would very much hope that your government would take under
advisement to launch a campaign of information of some kind to really
underscore the fact that this is unfair and unjust. I believe the vast
majority of Bahamian citizens are very good, but when I read the press
or have seen a couple of video clips on the Internet or heard and read
for myself a number of these statements that have been made, I have to
say these are frankly inflammatory and cannot fail but to stir up
feelings that are not conducive to peaceful coexistence.
“So
I would implore you, sir, to, I won’t say so much to educate, but to
inform, to make it clear the measures are being taken, measures in the
public domain, measures that I have stated from the outset are
absolutely in the purview of Bahamian sovereign decisions, but we also
know that the Bahamas as do we all has the obligation to respect basic
human rights.”
In
his response, Mr Mitchell said much of what is represented in the press
about the treatment of Haitians in the Bahamas is false.
“To
speak for a moment about the question of prejudice and discrimination
and what is said in the press and social media,” he said, “part of the
reason we are here is because of the misinformation that was spun either
in the press or social media about what this is. The government of the
country is not responsible for what is in the press or what the people
say in the press, although it might in fact reflect in some instances
what public opinion is. But I think every Bahamian understands the
nature of prejudice and bigotry and discrimination and certainly the
government does not sanction any of these things and I want to separate
myself from any effort which is suggesting that one ought to
discriminate against any national group. This is a generic policy not
expressed in terms of any national group.”
Nonetheless,
Mr Mitchell acknowledged that many Bahamians are frustrated with the
country’s illegal immigration problem and with having to absorb
“hundreds and thousands” of illegal migrants.
“Our
prime minister, when he speaks, often recounts a story of the first
black member of parliament (who) was in fact a man named Stephen Dillet
who was born in Haiti, came with his mother after the revolution as a
child,” he said. “Our governor general who just retired, Sir Arthur
Foulkes, his mother was Haitian. Haitians and people of Haitian descent
are integrated in the country. And my view is that what you are seeing,
you say expressed in the press, does not represent the majority view in
our country. What is of concern to a small country is the question of
can you continue to absorb hundreds and thousands of illegal migrants
coming into a country undocumented knowing what your obligations are in
the international arena for the security of your border and also for the
future identity and safety of your own state. That is simply
unsustainable and so we have an obligation, both internationally and
within our own domestic borders to our own population to ensure, not
that migrant stops, but that those who come to the Bahamas are properly
documented to be in the Bahamas and come through the front door and not
through the back door. That is what this is aimed at correcting.”
December 17, 2014
