'Immigration department extorting Haitians'

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FREEPORT – A well-known Haitian activist is accusing the Department of Immigration of using “extortion” tactics against Haitians living in Grand Bahama.

Jetta Baptiste says it is wrong that Haitians who have applied to government to become citizens are still awaiting their citizenship after some 20 years.

She said the longer these persons are made to wait, the more revenue the government collects every year in immigration fees.

“This blatant abusive system that they are using against the Haitian people is wrong. It is unfair and it is unjust,” she said.

Ms Baptiste is a well-known Haitian-Bahamian who has spoken out on many issues affecting Haitians in the Bahamas.

She was very upset over the recent arrest of a longtime Haitian resident, who has been waiting for more than 20 years to be granted citizenship.

According to Ms Baptiste, the man was picked up last Friday and told that he must pay some $5,000 before he can be released.

The man, she said, has been living and working for many years in Grand Bahama. He was also married to a Bahamian woman who had applied for his citizenship in 1990. His wife is now deceased.

“I understand that the Immigration Department picked him up and demanded that he pay $5,000 before he is released.

“I need to know why he has to pay $5,000 when he applied and has not received his citizenship. He is covered by the Haitian-Bahamian Treaty that was signed in 1985.

“Why should he have to pay this money when it is not his fault that the government refused to grant him his citizenship. He has been a good, respectable, law-abiding man, who has never been in trouble with the law. Why is he being asked to pay $5,000 when he does not have it. What do they plan to do with him? Will he be held in prison for not having this $5,000 extortion fees?”

Ms Baptiste said she attempted to contact Assistant Director of Immigration James Rolle for some answers, but was unsuccessful.

When The Tribune spoke with Mr Rolle, he confirmed that the individual in question was picked up last Friday and was released on Tuesday.

“He was picked up and it was discovered that he had no status in the Bahamas,” he said. “When they brought him in the office, and checked the record they found that the last recorded transaction on file is where the department would have approved a permit for him to be with his wife in 2000.”

Mr Rolle said the permit fee of $500 was still outstanding at the time of his arrest.

“Since that time, his status had not changed so an amount on our record of $1,000 was due in order for him to satisfy the auditing of his file,” he said.

“What happened since that time, he had never held any legal status and the officers communicated to him to that to bring his status current it would cost over $5,000.”

“That meant that he would have had to pay for a permit to be valid from 2000 to 2014.”

Mr Rolle said the yearly permit fee has increased from $500 to $700 and the amount owing and to bring it current would have amounted to some $14,000 to get him regularized.

“What we done is taken in consideration that he was married to a Bahamian and has children born in the Bahamas and we asked him and those persons who made representation on his behalf to pay only for the one year that was not paid for,” he said.

Mr Rolle said the $1,000 fee was paid and the man was released.

“We have instructed him to seek someone to regularize his status,” he said.

Mr Rolle said according to the man’s file, an application was filed many years ago for permanent residency.

“I do not know about the citizenship and I can’t say where that is. I cannot speak to that. If there were one filed, we would have follow up to see where the application is. It is likely that the application is inactive because he has not maintained any legal status.”

Mr Rolle said there is no extortion and the officers were right in quoting him what it would take to bring his status current, but we did not insist that he do that because the file closed with him owing us only for one year. In order to bring him current he would have to make application to have his status brought current.”

Ms Baptiste believes that the man should be granted his citizenship and an apology for his mistreatment.

“Something is wrong with the Bahamian Immigration system and it must change,” she said.

“The governments (both FNM and PLP) failed to grant him something that he was legally entitled to many years ago. Firstly, he was married to a Bahamian woman for many years. Should that in itself not count for something?

“Secondly, he submitted his documents to the government over 20 years ago, he is covered under the Treaty, should that not count for something?”

“What message is the government sending to the people around the world? One that they would make a treaty with a country and not honour the terms of that treaty and make the citizens suffer and be deprived of their basic human rights?”

Ms Baptiste said in May 2011 a list was compiled with the names of some 100 Haitian residents in Grand Bahama who were still waiting on their citizenship. The list was sent to former Director of Immigration Jack Thompson.

Comments

B_I_D___ says...

Yeap...I know a good number of Haitians that have been here for over 20 years...on legal permits for the full 20 years...not a chance in heck that Immigration will give them permanent status.

Posted 6 February 2014, 3:52 p.m. Suggest removal

SP says...

As out spoken as Jetta Baptiste is, she has never spoken a word about getting illegal Haitians OUT of this country or assisted Immigration in cracking Haitian human and drug smuggling cartels.

Jetta Baptiste is part of the secret Haitian-Bahamian society that profit from financing Haitian smuggling and other illegal activities.

She knows ALL THE IN"S AND OUT"S of everything Haitians and Haitian-Bahamians are involved in, and can lead Immigration and police to the doorstep of top Haitian crime boss's.

Jetta Baptiste is a traitor to the Bahamas.

The Dominican Republic has made the right move to rid themselves of these nasty parasites.

The Bahamas needs to follow suit!

Posted 6 February 2014, 8:42 p.m. Suggest removal

TheMadHatter says...

I just wonder if all of these "Haitian Bahamians" were granted citizenship - would they still call themselves "Haitian Bahamians" - or would they then call themselves "Bahamians".

Would they still drive their cars in the line and march on Haitian Flag Day every year in the Bahamas like they do now? Or would they celebrate July 10th instead?

Do they really want to be Bahamians, or do they just want to have a better status so they can export a greater amount of money from the Bahamas?

**TheMadHatter**

Posted 6 February 2014, 10:27 p.m. Suggest removal

GrassRoot says...

Whats wrong with that? Everybody comes from somewhere, it is actually a sign of strength for a society to allow its members to celebrate their heritage. We Bahamians also come from Andros, or Long Island or Ragged Island. Its not only an honor for a foreigner to be granted Bahamian citizenship, its also an honor for the Bahamas, if a foreigner choses (and works hard) to become Bahamian.

Posted 7 February 2014, 1:46 a.m. Suggest removal

GrassRoot says...

and BTW the government does not make a distinction when it steals from a Bahamian or a non-Bahamian's NIB contributions.

Posted 7 February 2014, 1:48 a.m. Suggest removal

TheMadHatter says...

"What's wrong with that" - is that if foreigners continue to come here and become the majority and live according to their customs and heritage and speak their language etc etc, - then what country will we have? Where will Bahamians be able to live and be Bahamians? Do you think they will at least leave us Rum Cay to live on, the way we want to live?

It is not a big deal either way. It is simply a choice. If the majority of Bahamians choose to let their country be taken away from them - then that is called democracy.

Suicide is only illegal for people, not for countries. It is perfectly legal for any country to choose to kill itself. At the moment we are working hard night and day building the gallows.

**TheMadHatter**

Posted 7 February 2014, 8:16 a.m. Suggest removal

Bahamas4Bahamians says...

I reckon if big shot Jetta Baptiste is not satisfied with our bureaucratic system she should go back to Haiti where its all paradise and everything works in swift timing.

After all, if little ole Bahamian me decides to marry a yankee doodle and I'm not comfortable with the laws of their land, i'll come back to the little ole Bahamas where I'm from.

sounds about right ehh?

Posted 7 February 2014, 9:30 a.m. Suggest removal

rony says...

So call Haitian Bahamians have no loyalty to the Bahamas!! They deeply hate Bahamians because their illegal parents told them messed up stuff about Bahamians. They now have a haitian show on guardian radio, sayin it's a show because alot of Haitians are out of touch because they don't know English. How in the world can you go in another man country and not learn their language? I don't overstand how the government have allowed this to get so out of hand. The Haitians got the schools, hospital, roads, jobs and clinics full up to da max. People are always quick to say "bahamians have a problem with haitians" are you kidding me? any right thinking Bahamian should have a problem seeing all this mess. It so gone! haitians out by the fish fry making conch salad and working head up in the straw market with Bahamians. "If your not prepared to fight for The Bahamas you don't deserve to have it".

Posted 9 February 2014, 7:35 a.m. Suggest removal

Log in to comment