Baha Mar confirms immigration held staff at Sheraton

By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

FOLLOWING shock in the private sector over an Immigration Department “raid” at Atlantis earlier this week, Baha Mar confirms it had its own Immigration “visit” when five senior engineers at the Sheraton were “detained” by officials on their lunch break.

 Senior vice-president of external and governmental affairs, Robert “Sandy” Sands confirmed the incident to The Tribune, last night, which he said occurred on Wednesday.

“They approached a number of our expatriate staff at one of our hotels, the Sheraton, during the lunch period,” he said.

“But we were able to satisfy the officers – who were

respectful, I want to make that very clear – that we had the necessary paperwork that was in process and approvals etcetera from the Immigration Department.”

The officials did intercept the staff in public view, Mr Sands continued, but “at our urging” officials agreed to “take it to a private location” where the matter was resolved.

“Five were in fact detained, temporarily,” he said, “and upon documentation that we provided were released.” Those five engineers are of American and English nationalities.

“Our position, quite frankly, is that as an investor, Baha Mar certainly supports legal immigration and as a company we are also deeply interested in actively recruiting talented Bahamians to work in various positions throughout the organization,” Mr Sands said.

“The long-term success of our project depends on attracting expatriates whose skill sets contribute to the success of the project or our operating entities and by extension contribute to the long term success of our operation.

“We have to be careful in terms of the manner in which enforcement of the Immigration Department is conducted and we really have to enhance the perception that the government welcomes foreign investment and by extension welcomes those skill sets that are not readily available within the country.”

The country also has to be “very careful” that it does not send signals to investors or potential investors that the country is not investor-friendly, he explained.

“And I honestly believe that we must find the way to be able to improve the whole process of communication between ourselves as customers of the Immigration Department and how we initiate enforcement. Especially in public or in front of tourists in public held areas... This whole questions of handling privately and with sensitivity, I think, is very critical, especially in our sector.”

However, Mr Sands stressed the officials handled the situation at the Sheraton with respect.

“They weren’t high handed; they were respectful,” he said. “But the issue for us is that we believe a number of these things can be handled privately and with sensitivity; and we really, this whole approach of heavy-handedness and the perception of inflexibility does not all go well for us as a destination.

“What is important to note is that every country in the world has some form of legal immigration and has in place, processes to attract skill sets that are not readily available. The Bahamas is no different and so we really have to create a climate that does not inculcate fear in the business community and among potential investors.”

Tuesday’s incident at Atlantis left visitors and employees, both startled and baffled as three Immigration officers disrupted operations at Dolphin Cay to detain and carry off the attraction’s head sea lion trainer.

The Tribune understands that without warning, two uniformed men and one plain-clothes officer marched into the water park through a back gate, found the American citizen in the middle of a guest interaction with sea lions, and demanded that she produce her passport.

When she explained that she did not carry the document to work, the officers escorted her to a government vehicle, put her inside, and drove off without further explanation.

According to well placed sources, Kerzner had applied for a work permit renewal for the employee, but it was denied in December.

The resort then filed an appeal, the results of which are pending – a situation which according to normal immigration procedure, allows an employee to continue working until the matter is resolved.

She was later released after a colleague contacted Immigration and informed them of the appeal.

Comments

TalRussell says...

Comrade Roberto tell of any nation's immigration department that practices the handling of immigration enforcement in a "private with sensitivity manner?"

Minister Feddy has taken an constructional oath to protect the sovereignty of his Bahamaland and to this minister it means something.

Posted 26 April 2013, 11:42 a.m. Suggest removal

stillwaters says...

How come we don't hear a single little weak peep from people when they snatching Haitians from their beds in the middle of the night!!!!

Posted 26 April 2013, 12:39 p.m. Suggest removal

Collin says...

Because it was in their beds not in the front of the people who pay the majority of bills for we Bahamians. If you do not understand the difference you simply do not want too.

This praising of Hon. Mitchell for his ill thought off pronouncements and ridiculous repeating of the same is a reminder of the shortsightedness and myopic view of some.

Posted 26 April 2013, 3:50 p.m. Suggest removal

akbar says...

The law is the law. Customs and Immigration duty is to protect our Sovereignty. If they don't do their job without hindrance then we won't have a country to "pay bills" in. They have a right to enter any job site and check the status of foreign workers as it is in any other country. We selling our souls for a meal and then crying when our country going into a cesspool of corruption.They lucky Roker aint still around. You think the Chinese who funding this project in China would be concern on when and where they protect their Sovereignty. Wake up and smell the shrimp fried rice.

Posted 27 April 2013, 6:40 a.m. Suggest removal

concernedcitizen says...

yeah by the late 80,s under Ping and Roker direct foriegn investment had slowed to a trickle ..the gov through the hotel corp had to go into the hotel business to prop it up ..Ambassador Beach etc ,,the hotel corp owned hotels lost money hand over foot and were sold for pennys on the dollar ..lets see it took the PLP a year of failed policy ,the borrowing of 650,million dollars ,even if 150 million went for the roads , until they returned to their stock in trade ..race baiting ,xenophopia and running around shouting bad foriegner ,,pure honey for the undereducated masses ears

Posted 27 April 2013, 10:37 a.m. Suggest removal

Collin says...

No one is disputing the law is the law, but it is possible to carry out the law without being foolish and destroying what we spend millions to attract. How is doing sensible selling your soul? How is employing sensible policies selling your soul or corrupt? How is it acting in the best interest of your country a bad thing?

It would be interesting to see if some, who are using technology and the comforts of life paid for mainly by the people some wish to be treated in a callous manner. I am all for law and order after all I do not break the law even when it comes to simple traffic infraction.

However, we must not be so foolish to believe that we can attack the very industry that feeds our families and gives us the third highest per capita in the Western Hemisphere.

Posted 28 April 2013, 7:25 p.m. Suggest removal

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