I agree with you 100% ! However after seeing the way the majority of our people vote when it comes right down to it, these jokers in government know they only need to hand out some t-shirts, throw a party, and grease a few palms and they will be right back in office.

Here we go again!
..Inhumane yes!
But for God sakes why are you here!?
Shucks this is just the same condition you ran from! Legally or not!

Why can this government not respect human and civil rights ? Why do we abuse Cuban detainees, Haitian immigrants, and female detainees? We need to stop the abuse, the world is watching!

The PLP abuse ALL but a select few. They have abused Bahamians for years now!!!

The abuse probably happens because these officers are usually political appointees with no idea of how to conduct themselves in such positions of responsibility.

If this account is true then it is a shocking indictment of this country's attitude towards Human rights. I don't believe that the PLP is any worse than the FNM in this regard. We delude ourselves that we are a Christian Nation yet this week we have this story coupled with Q.C. Wayne Munroe's outrageous suggestion that illegal immigrants should be flogged before being deported!!! How low can this country sink? While all this is going on, Perry Gladstone Christie is in London trying to sell foreign investors how The Bahamas is a wonderful place to invest their millions. I imagine he ignores the part that once the government has your hard currency investment, it reserves the right to acquire your business (as it saw fit with a certain Mr. Izmarilian) or if one of your employees happens to find himself working before he is in possession of a renewed work permit, he might end up being flogged to teach him a lesson (if the aforementioned leading Bahamian QC has his way!) And so we continue with the tired old mantra "It's Better In The Bahamas". Is it really?

Look even Bahamian Citizens are abused by Immigration & the Police!

Why doesn't the government just deport these people regularly instead of holding them so long?

Comrades unless we think these Jamaican woman's are nothing but illegal garbage it is tempting to dismiss stories of police and immigration abuses and inhumane treatment by the very people empowered to enforce the laws of the land.
If we are truly a free society we must challenge any institution or law enforcement officials when they themselves fail to humanly treat or demonstrate respect for the people they take into their custody.
The stories are becoming much too frequent to simply be dismissed as anti law enforcement. It is easy to say those who are 'accused" of breaking our laws have a vested interest in crying foul but the reports are too numerous be discounted as nothing more than media reporting flaws. .
Comrades there is an urgency to recognize something is ugly wrong with pictures of mistreating persons coming into contact with the peoples institutions and law enforcement officials.
Comrades we better quickly fine the fine line in da sand against those who select to abuse their authority granted by the people.

With all the high level of incidents involving illegal immigrants it shows the need for continuous working surveillance systems at all times. I say to the Department of Immigration cover your backs . In every Government Department we have bad apples that must be taken out, which is the case right now. But there are also Illegal persons out there that will do and say anything to straighten their lives as well as their status here. You cannot be Deterred from the true purpose of your jobs! .....ps ,by the way . I'm a big fan also of
The Domestic Tourist.

Incredible!!!<img src="http://s02.flagcounter.com/mini/rzN/bg_…" width="1"/>

News flash: detainees at Fox Hill prison also sleep and pee on the floor. I have not heard as much concern for the thousands more Bahamians in Fox Hill in my life, versus the handful of immigrants provided with extensive publicity. Your concerns cannot be genuine if the only time you speak up is when a foreigner is involved.

The women were released on Sunday evening without any charges! The Groups' concerns are therefore perfectly legitimate.

You also seem to be missing the point! Point is where are the advocates for innocent and/or guilty Bahamians who endure the same inhumane conditions at home, in Haiti (one died remember?) or Jamaica where the conditions are just as harsh or harsher.

And one of the women was carrying papers documenting her legal status in the country. What is wrong with you? What if you were visiting a foreign land and this happened to you? Arrested without cause, other than being a foreigner; put into a prison with no access to a bathroom; and subjected to all sorts of humiliating comments if not worse! You defend that? This is the logical result from Mr. Fred Mitchell's assault on the Constitution of this country, not to mention humanity, all for perceived political benefit. He operates just like his pals the Castro Brothers.

What is wrong with you? Limited comprehension? Where did I ever advocate for inhumane conditions for anyone. I guess you could not go on your emotional tirade without implying that is my position. But to answer your question, I would expect to be treated no better or worse than the native population...some of them are also innocent. Where is your concern for them using slop buckets, 4-6 in a darkened tiny cell while sleeping on cement floors? Do you ever rant against Bernard Nottage like you did Fred Mitchell because of the human rights violations against them? Has Fred Smith? Probably not. And that is my point!

One thing, every person who gets arrested and locked up over night pretty much sleeps on the ground, they where lucky they had cardboard. Go up to Fox Hill, them set sleep on cardboard every night.

Sooooooo, we have 11 Jamiacan women dancing butt naked on a stage in a Bahamian nightclub .............. did they have proper documents to be here........... and is the club licensed to take part in exotic dancing and other X-rated activities ............ BTW: who owns the night-club anyway and is the DPM a platinum member of the club??????????

................ and may I add .............. for Bahamians who get locked up in Jamaica .............. our police cells and jail cells are hotels as compared to any Penitentiary in the Big Yard .......... hope these so-called human rights activists know that as well ......... you smell a Jamaican jail when you are within two miles of it

Those are ridiculous comments sheepherder12

Soooooooo, what u gat 2 say about the young Bahamian pilot who languished in a Highshun detention centre for over a year and died from lack of treatment????? Any activists check 4 dat???????

Nobody had anything to say...they're unconcerned about Bahamians because apparently, they deserve it but foreigners don't!

**.......... Only Haitian and Jamaican lives matter. *No one steps up for Bahamians!* ............**

Totally astonishing how these so called human rights activist mysteriously crawl out of the woodwork with unabashed support whenever Haitians or Jamaicans are ill treated, but could never find any level of concern whatsoever for Bahamians that endure the exact same circumstances 365 days, year in and year out.

Where are the activist protesting and liaising with international human rights organizations about well known deplorable conditions at Fox Hill prison being unfit conditions even for animal habitation, and routine daily abuse and torture of suspects in police custody?

Notwithstanding the fact successive governments thinking that police thuggery is a viable means to governance, condoning massive unbridled police brutality, civil rights violations and corruption.

Not only Haitians and Jamaicans "lives matter". **NO ONE** should be subjected to the inhumane conditions, brutality and treatment of Bahamas so called "law enforcement".

***GOD forbid someone should abuse a dog, cat, horse, dolphin or turtle!, But Bahamian human beings lives are obviously considered as totally worthless!***

hey SP , your point "GOD forbid someone should abuse a dog, cat, horse, dolphin or turtle!, But Bahamian human beings lives are obviously considered as totally worthless!", while it might be a good point, we can't ignore that if true , for the most part we've earned that position with our lazy , ignorant and criminal and just plain nasty ways that are exhibited by so many of our citizens.

Comrades since when did dancing nude on stage - as a citizen or undocumented immigrant - become a jail-able offense?
Did they arrest and lockup the operators of the club?

Who was this officer in charge of this operation. Is he/she on some type leave due to these allegations?

Uncivilized behaviour is born from lack of self respect.

If you don't respect yourself, you can't respect others.

These 'Officers of (our) laws' are just becoming thugs, they are NOT Civil, and they see and act as such, they obviously don't like themselves or others.

Everyone in their right mind should be VERY concerned when BASIC Human Rights are being trampled on and blatantly disregarded.

This could easily be YOU or your family next time.

WAKE UP!

The woman said she was away from her sick baby? Why did she leave her sick baby to go to a bar in the first place? I agree no one cares about Bahamians locked up in fox hill. now that is a situation that is in needs of attention.

The Jamaicans are fighting for the Jamaicans , and the Haitians are fighting for the Haitians who will fight for the Bahamians in the Bahamas?

Agreed................. Birdie ............ Bahamian Lives Matter Tooooo

Birdie, sheeprunner,My2cents and SP I concur with your statements. By no means do I support the abuse of visitors to our country, be they legal or illegal. But the nagging question still remains, who is speaking up for the countless Bahamians that are being abused by governments, past and present, and these enforcement agencies on a daily basis??? You see, the problem is the media is playing devil's advocate by sensationalizing these stories of foreign abuse, yet they overlook any complaints by Bahamians who have been suffering for years. Shit, everyone in this country has more rights than Bahamians anyway you put it. Let us speak out for our brothers and sisters in the south, but for God's sake Bahamians, let us stand up for our own also!

You are all missing the larger point. When black man treats another black like an animal its all based on self-hatred and the legacy of slavery. Most people in the Caribbean are so unaware of this and that's why it will continue to occur, years after year, decade after decade, century after century. Sad state of affairs when there is a lack of insight.

Our law enforcement agencies have been out of control for some time now. We turn a deaf ear to practically all cases of abuse whether it be Bahamian or foreigner(except if you are white). In our collective conscientiousness we feel that the biggity nigger deserve a cut behind or to be treated in a degrading way. We have been taught to hate self and if you are a reflection of me in color, in features and hair, I hate you. Thus our dilemma as a people.

**........... Whoever taught you this idiocy did a dam good job!...........**

In all my 50+ years I have yet to meet a single "hate self individual because they black with bad hair, broad nose and big lip"!

This "black self hate" theory is a frequently repeated misconception without a shred of supporting evidence and frankly an extremely ignorant belief for one to fall prey to.

Anyone looking in a mirror will agree "Out of all your parents children, you love yourself the best"!

You probably hang around persons who are not black. Supporting evidence, Bright face and black knuckles, straight hair. Need I say more.

No, please STFU. Your unquestionably an ignorant moron.

Whoever taught you to ignore the long term traumatic effects and social learnings of centuries of chattel slavery has done a great job of keeping you ignorant. It has worked like a charm and you don't have a damn clue still.

Is it just me or does it seem like most of this Human rights groups in The Bahamas only represent a particular grouping of people and not the entire country as a whole? And secondly do these groups attack the root of the problem ? The countries where these immigrants come from ,I feel if they were to address these issues at ground zero like in Haiti and Jamaica may be it would stem the tide of illegal immigrants coming into the country .Prevention is better than cure in my opinion
.

It's not about race, it's class and money. The same circumstances of corruption, inhumane treatment and inept governance that exists in the Bahamas, exist in Jamaica and Haiti to a greater degree because of poverty. The situation is the same in the Philippines and also non black countries in South and Central America. Weren't the (white or mixed?) Cubans and the Japanese immigrant treated in the same manner in Bahamas? And so would a poor white man. I highly doubt that a millionaire and/or celebrity, black or white, would be handled in the same manner as the masses. The bottom line is wherever there is poverty, there will be corruption, high crime, overwhelmed agencies, frustrated and/or corrupt law enforcement...and human rights will not be at the top of the list. It's not a Bahamian thing or a black thing. I don't believe it's impossible to turn it around, but no lasting solution will come from the outside. So why start there?

This is totally unacceptable....what are our immigration officers doing. Too much of this nonsense being circulated about abuse in the Bahamas at the detention centre. We need to get this fixed ASAP. ....on another note, what was this woman doing at a bar while she had a sick newborn at home, but blaming immigration for not allowing her to breastfeed her baby!!