Notice how this scumbag QC never ever talks about the real solution - the need to amend our constitution. Instead he prefers to encourage unrealistic scenarios that he knows full well are either too costly or logistically impossible for the purpose of achieving his own very hideous anti_Bahamian agenda, i.e. the Haitianisation of the Bahamas!

Of course he won't speak to amending the constitution to solve illegal immigration, when what he really wants is for the constitution to be amended to facilitate illegal immigrants. Unfortunately, he and the current FNM administration seem to be of one accord.

I couldn't agree more. They gat a half breed in the cabinet now so all buck up goes. Suddenly everyone is soft on immigration.

We are indebted to Mr. Smith for advocating for basic human rights when our government seems all to ready to trample over them. Bahamians better stand up and demand their rights before goverernments take them away. These roadblocks are illegal and no one without good cause can question me about my citizenship. The dept. of Immigration acts like a law onto itself.
I had an experience where a group of immigration officiers were standing by the side of the road, I paused in traffic and one off these hoodlums they have working there tried to open my rear door and sit in the backseat of my car, thankfully traffic had moved and I hit the gas leaving him with his arm outstretched standing in the middle of the road. He never identified himself, or asked me anything, just tried to jump into my car. As a Bahamian I find these actions unacceptable and shameful and ILLEGAL. Please train these people and stop infringing on the rights of Bahamians. Follow the law and respect our rights. Bahamians better wake up or soon they will be traveling with their passports in their back pocket in their own country.

Bless you. A lot of Bahamians do not understand the finer points of rights and freedoms. Due process is an inalienable right, even for traffic stops.

Comrade Banker, need this subtitled in other than English for the 160,000 people from other lands read.

Dearest Tal unfortunately they know English better than you!

Comrade DonAnthony, better English me wouldn't be so difficult...most people done thinks its pretty poor.

Bahamians are indebted to a man who talks down to Bahamians in general, uses stereotypes, offensive language, and the worst comparisons to make his point? It is such a shame that people like himself, who are in a good positon to build bridges chose to foster animosity. He is a one-sided wacko and the only people that owe him are the illegal immigrants and the upper class Bahamians and foreigners who benefit from the slave like labor that he continues to enable with his defense of illegal immigrants and shanty towns.

Indebted to a man whose links to the illegal immigration problem is questionable? Who is selective about which laws to enforce?

I still wonder how "his" Cuban criminals were able to effortlessly escape the country during a nationwide manhunt. I see hypocrisy in him publicly advocating for laws to be followed, but begging Mitchell for permits and status for illegals behind closed doors. But I guess you don't recall any of this...it's here in Tribune if your inclined to refresh your memory.

The man never seems to talk about the rights of Bahamians that are taken away by all of the illegal entrants to our country.

Comrade 'King's Counsel' Freddy, finally the PLP's Freddy, might just begin gets some relief from you.
For all them peoples who always say the English peoples don't have a sense of humour .....KC Freddy, you was for the past five-years only pretending to so dislike former minister Freddy, with such passion and more than deeper than other breathing human being in all the Bahamaland. That was before Minnis, popped onto the governing scene. {I could've made the two Freddie's and Minnis, up}.

The apologists in this forum are always good for a laugh. Certain people always try to muddy the water by turning this issue in to a human rights issue or by throwing out catch phrases, such as "Bahamians being inconvenienced" or "rogue immigration officers". The hardcore fact is that these same people offer no solutions. They never openly speak out against the law breakers that enter our country illegally, or the Haitian descendants who aid these illegals in their illegal activities. Bahamians are not in the mood for this type of BS that is being spewed by these people, who obviously have an agenda that is certainly not in the best interest of the Bahamas. Although I am sure that it will never get to this, I could give a shit about carrying around a passport if it helps to eliminate or diminish this illegal Haitian issue that has been plaguing our country for decades. This problem by far out weighs a little inconvenience.

The reality is that lot of Bahamians are suffering. Anyone who thinks that the majority of right thinking Bahamians will just stand by idly fondling their arms while illegals sneak in their country to steal jobs is dead wrong. Fred Smith and the government will soon begin to see the mean side of Bahamians, when we begin to rise up against those who try to make us second class citizens in our own country!

Comrade Emac, just maybe the time done arrived to throw wide open all immigration to the Bahamaland. Is it time park, nationalism? I am starting like a new Bahamaland official relaxing immigration approach.

The solution to this problem is very simple though never tried. Simply enforce the law. I am all for deporting illegal immigrants but do it in the proper way. Whoever harbors illegal immigrants should be charged. Who hires these illegals.... Bahamians. I for one have never hired a Haitian legal or otherwise, can you say the same? Yet we have govt after govt who refuses to enforce the law and charge Bahamians who hire illegals. So Fred Smith is not the problem, the problem are Bahamians who hire illegals and a corrupt, lazy, inept govt that refuses to enforce the law.

The laws as is have too many loopholes and the onslaught of illegal immigrants have created a cluster that the constitution did not envision. The constitution should never support any type of illegal activity, and yet it does because the offspring of god knows how many illegal immigrants have benefited from the citizenship loophole which was likely framed on behalf of legal migrants. The constitution addresses criminals and illegal immigration as distinctly separate areas, and yet, due to the onslaught of illegals over the years we are now seeing a convergence of these two areas. Apparently, adjusting public policy is not enough. The constitution needs to be amended to address issues of the modern era. We need a bipartisan body to sort through the muck and make fair recommendations, and not the recommendations of someone who feels justified in his bias.

Sooo Emac, what solution are you offering?? Are you even Bahamian cos you sound a little foreign to me?

Well_mudda_take_ must be the handle for Mitchell, Thank God for brave and educated people such as Fred Smith, they are the ones that are stopping our country sinking into mugabeland.

Comparing the terms that both Symonnette and Mitchell had as Immigration Ministers, I would say in both instances, Mitchell was a much better Immigration Minister than Brent Symonette. Even if it was for show, he was aware that he represented Bahamians and the Bahamas, not illegal immigrants and their rich enablers.

This Haitians sloop was a decoy for some other sinister plot that went down.. maybe even drugs. But it is a loud and clarion cry to Hubert Minnis not to tamper with the country’s immigration laws. Imagine 250 illegals in a few years claiming they have fathered or born Bahamian children. Now the onors is on the country to disprove them.

So lets see if i understand this. If you agree with the QC you must want the total destruction of Bahamas, per a number of comments on this page. However not 1 of them has said that he is wrong. This is what the Constitution says. Surely this means that it is they who would like to see the end of The Bahamas, as the Constitution is who we are and the way we and the Government is meant to act.

He is wrong. Currently, the constitution makes a distinction between the handling of criminal activity and illegal immigration. Because of the onslaught of illegal migrants and the criminals who cloak them, the department of immigration is sometimes not equipped to handle the number of immigrants who need to be processed and incarcerated pending deportation. Hence, I agree that the two need to be merged at this point so that individuals are not left to languish in detention centers with no pending court dates to assess or re-asses their situation. I am hoping for an independent immigration court, and that in the interim, we continue to house the illegal immigrants in the so called "Carmichael Concentration Camp" and not Fox Hill prison.

I would wager money on him being right, as every time he has taken the Govt to court he wins. Whilst i fully agree that the Govt needs to get a handle on the illegal problem, this must be done in a legal manner. I know of one legal immigrant who spent a day at the detention centre because the officer said the work permit card could be faked. This is not the actions a nation who adheres to laws should ever take, but i would guess this happens often.
However it doesn't really matter, as this is immigration making a show of force as they were all made to looked foolish by the sloop basically landing on the BDF's front door. So i expect this to be over soon, and of course Govt changing the headlines over MP's pay rises. Always easy to go after illegals whenever things are going bad in the newspapers.

Apparently you have money to lose and you view our sovereignty as some kind of game. With the complete cluster that illegal immigrants and their enablers have created there is no clear distinction on how to proceed with these matters. Recently, in the case of the Kenyan who overstayed his visa, the judge said that the matter of deportation was up to the department of immigration. Meanwhile, in the case of the work permit Haitian who harbored illegal immigrants, he was sentenced to inca4ceration or subject to pay a fine followed by deportation. So clearly immigration matters, usually a summary offense, are now spilling into the regular judiciary and judges are not clear on their powers.

Secondly, it seems that people always deflect from immigration matters by bringing up other issues as more pressing. Hence, time and again, immigration matters are left generally unattended until the administration of the day deems there is no choice but to abandon protocols and approve all and sundry for whatever status they want.

He is not saying abandon protocols, he is saying abide by the law.

Foreign Illegal immigrants Invading our country do not UNDERSTAND, APPRECIATE NOR ADHERE to diplomatic processes period. Those advocating diplomatic processes for breaking the law are only trying to advance their own personal agenda and could care less about the Illegals or the Bahamian people period. The fact that you do not possess the necessary legal documents to enter another country is cause to be apprehended and transferred back to your own country by the same means used to come here period. In some other third world countries, if an unauthorized boat in found in their waters, you are considered pirates.

Comrade John is somewhat on right track how the sloop was a decoy but could be wrong on whats behind the decoy, I've long been receiving credible reports of sightings some kinds wooden looking types subversives popping up from beneath the water. My sources are telling-me that they believe them be some kinds submarine sloops popping out water in Nassau Harbour, and also off the Montagu Beach. Pretty strong indicators of a possibility someone may be smuggling a whole bunch illegals inside them wooden looking submarines.

Tal is “ some kinds wooden looking types subversives” a euphemism for Fred Mitchell :) ?

Comrade DonAnrhiony, ain't no difference. A submersible submarine are same damn thing as trouble making wooden looking types subversives .

Hear hear baldbeardedbahamian. We in this country are serial abusers of vulnerable people who ended up here out of desperation and in search for a better life. Did they break the law? Yes, but we treat them and speak of them worse than we do murderers and rapists for some reason. And this at a time when the rest of the world is growing up and treating migration as a human rights problem and not a crime. I know for sure that if this country turned into Haiti, I would also flee by whatever means possible to protect the life and safety of my family. People who go on about Haitians making life worse for Bahamians can point to zero proof that this is the case. Its all anecdotal. Across most of the world, it is recognized that immigrant populations, however they get there, boost and support an economy, doing jobs for pennies that no one else wants to do and allowing the local population to move up and occupy middle class jobs. If that has not happened in the Bahamas, look to your political leaders for failing the populace, not the Haitians. And if you want to send them back, fine, do so, but do so according to the law, not some made up policy that has slippery slope to dictatorship written all over it. Only people like Fred Smith can see above and beyond the petty minded smallness to see what is really going on here. The rule of law is the rule of law, two wrongs never make a right, and when your government starts breaking the law to attack a group you don't like, its only a matter of time before they turn that tactic on you.

Fred Smith is a perfect example of what happens when we give people citizenship whose allegiance is with another country.

This Haitian mulatto knows all the information on Haitian human and drug smuggling. Why doesn't he expose them or assist the government in interdicting his criminal countrymen?

For an individual with so much to say, how is it that Fred has never uttered one word on how to stop illegal Haitian migration?

Haitian smuggling is a huge enterprise. Perhaps Fred is "part and parcel" of the problem!

SP - he does, all the time. This is from a recent article printed right here in this same paper:

A real solution to immigration

Now that the old approach has become politically unproductive, perhaps politicians might consider a real solution to the problem; one capable of producing tangible results in the long-term.

The first step would be to move immediately to clear the backlog of applications for citizenship and other forms of status that have lain dormant for decades.

Aside from the gross violation of the rights of these people during crackdowns, it is insanity to send armed, aggressive officers into communities in which thousands of undocumented migrants mingle with thousands of others who have various claims to status, including children with the right to apply for citizenship in the future. Chaos, wrongful detentions and the wholesale abuse of people’s rights are the only possible results.

The second step would be to vastly improve the efficacy of border control, part of which involves arresting and prosecuting immigration officers who are suspected of taking bribes to look the other way as undocumented migrants cross into our territory.

Once the government has done the above, the comparatively few people left who are still suspected of being undocumented migrants can be brought before the courts in a humane and orderly fashion, based on demonstrable probable cause and not on discrimination, then given a chance to argue their case, all of them being considered innocent until proven guilty.

The time has come for both political parties to stop playing politics with immigration – if for no other reason than their own political survival. This is much more so the case for the FNM than it is for the PLP.

However, whichever party ushers in a real and lasting solution to this issue that is humane, fair and effective might be capable of gaining a durable and lasting political advantage. It also happens to be the right thing to do.

This nothing but a red herring. Fred Smith NEVER helped government decipher the illegal Haitian human arms and drug smuggling trade although everybody suspects he is intrinsically involved. This man is an enemy of the state and should be treated as such!

The problem is not with the Haitians who come from Haiti you know. it is the cross breeds, like Fred Smith who cause problems and create disharmony.. Apparently because they have some command of the English language and because they also speak Creole fluently, they feel they have more rights and should have more priviliges than anyone else. Just look at their demeanor : they are always angry, arguing about something or looking down on everyone around them. Some even hate their parents for being Haitian. And they can't stand the best bone in Bahamians

@baldbeardedbahamian, you ever hear the Smokey song, "Born Dere"? Well das me. I am a proud Bahamian! With that been said let's talk Solutions! I agree 100% with DonAnthony, enforce the laws.
1. The government must bring down the whole armour of the law against those who aid and harbour illegals migrants.

2. The government must begin to relocate residents in shanty towns or make them evacuate over a certain period and then destroy these shanty towns as they were not build within our codes. Make them green spaces and take back the land papers from the owners,

3. Stop processing applications for cheap labour out of the Bahamas. Insist that all applications be submitted from Hatii. The Bahamas Consulate Office to the Republic of Haiti is located in Port Au Prince. Get some staff over there and Use it!

4. The Department of Immigration must begin revoking the permits of holders who are found
working in areas that are not outlined on their permit. For instance, a permit holder of a "Labourer" postion should NOT be working at fish fry.

5. The government of the Bahamas needs to revoke the permanent residency status of anyone who is found guilty of committing any crime, harbouring illegals of defacing any of the Bahamas' national emblems. Y'all remember those ungrateful SOBs that dragged the Bahamian flag on their flag day. Not a word from deranged Fred about this.

6.(This is an important one) The government of the Bahamas must bring a referendum to the people for us to decide whether or not to amend the constitution to make it crystal clear of who is eligible citizenship. Both parties have failed to do this because they know that the results would be a resounding YES for change to the Constitution which will stop this anchor baby syndrome in Haitian woman.

What was so funny was a a video circulating around social media with this Haitian lady's response when asked by Immigration officers if she had legal status. She proudly blurted out that she had 39 grand children! Go figure.

It is time for every right thinking Bahamian to step up to the plate and take our Country back from these freaks we hired to lead. It is obvious that they don't give a damn about us Bahamians.
Finally, for those who think that the empty sloop was a conspiracy and that no one came off that boat, please read the report! It was reported that residents in the area witnessed several cars driving in the area to pick up the illegals. Yes folks, the same damn Haitian descendants that we rewarded with citizenship are the one aiding illegals and we sit around sipping coffee talking bout conspiracy. Keep sipping... If you believe that you are immune from the illegal immigration problem just because you live behind a gate, then you gat another thing coming. God forbid that these people ever bring some life threatening disease on one of these sloops, then you hear everyone blaming the government!

Emac, suggest you e-mail this directly to the Minister of Immigration AND the Prime Minister! Enough of this turning blind eye foolishness is enough.

Voltaire always appear out of nowhere whenever there is something about illegal Haitians. ***"We in this country are serial abusers of vulnerable people who ended up here out of desperation and in search for a better life."***

Stop playing the sympathy card. It is getting old. No one is desperate who can cough up $2000 to pay to get on a sloop to travel miles and miles to a foreign country. I can't even find $2000 right now and you talking shit 'bout desperate people? Y'all really think Bahamians fool ay?. Maybe Immigration need to check your household, cause you come off like one dem smugglers yaself. Maybe Bahamians would be more symphatheic to you and your kind when y'all stop demanding and having hundreds of damn children. First control your bad habits, then people can say maybe these people are looking for a better life. NO... your people are not looking for a better life. They are looking for a country to plant their seeds, that's what it is. Do sit small and stop demanding. What you should be saying is that you are so grateful that the Bahamian allowed so many illegal Haitians to come into our country and shared our healthcare and educational system.

Defacing the flag, or flying it upside down? Immediate jail time. Listening to the National Anthem while in the bathroom or while washing dishes? Immediate jail time. Suggesting that God did not give this country only to people who support the PLP, or suggesting that Swindling was not really Moses sent by God, Immediate jail time. Eating any food that is not Bahamian such as them American hamburgers, immediate jail time. Lets see some national pride and true patriotism and lets put every one else in jail. KFC is Bahamian, isn't it???

Yep. Trivializing the issue really helps. But any of the above works as long as it keeps the illegals at bay.

I think Fred Smith may be wrong on this one. The constitution states that, No person shall be deprived of his personal liberty save as may be authorized by law in any of the following cases
- for the purpose of preventing the unlawful entry of that person into The Bahamas or for
the purpose of effecting the expulsion, extradition or other lawful removal from the
Bahamas of that person. Nevertheless, I see the wisdom of a magistrate going to the Detention center and providing a judgement for persons to be deported. The courts can not be sued but the Department of Immigration could be. All it takes is for the Department of Immigration to deport a legitimate Bahamian and that person is set for life.

The major points being missed here;

1. Because of the boat landing, the government went on a rampage and rounded up Haitians to send back to Haiti. But the government expects to be a member of the WTO in a year or so. What does that mean? That citizens from member nations can come to the Bahamas to work, to live, to start businesses just as if they were Bahamians. Our borders will be ripped wide open.

2. The Minnis' led FNM government is changing the laws for the requirements for Bahamian citizenship. This means that persons who have never even visited the Bahamas will be entitled to citizenship. It means that illegal immigrants coming here and getting impregnated by Bahamian men will now have Bahamian children. It means that Bahamian men having children anywhere in the world will father Bahamian children. It means that persons coming to the Bahamas from Haiti or any part of the world and claiming Bahamian parentage will be entitle to have their cases heard and may get citizenship. There is already a big problem with immigrants, legal and illegal.. Bahamian citizenship is under seige and gues what, not just by Haitians. there are persons who want to change the complexion of the Bahamas

We have NO space in our detention centre, jail or courts for any more illegal Haitians ........ just sink the sloops in the ocean .......... Sounds cold????? ........ Do you think Haitians love The Bahamas????? .......... They are just using us to feed their families and head north to USA.

Fred Smith often tries to invoke violations of the Constitution. As he is a born Haitian national, according to the Haitian Constitution, he cannot revoke his Haitian citizenship, and according to the Bahamian Constitution, an individual cannot qualify for Bahamian citizenship unless they revoke any other citizenship.

In essence, the Constitutions of the Bahamas and Haiti prevent Fred Smith qualifying for Bahamian citizenship!

The Bahamas government should revoke Fred Smiths Bahamian citizenship as well as anyone else with Haitian lineage once an for all.

A hilariously good suggestion! I just mentioned the same thing a few days ago, if not quite so eloquently!

Fred Smith can apply for habeas corpus before the courts until the sun rises in the west. The Constitution allows the courts to dismiss his filing in the interest of national security!

This man has proven on more than one occasion to be an enemy of the state. The AG should direct government counsel to file a countersuit charging Fred Smith with sedition and or subversion to shut up this mulatto Haitian nationalist in perpetuity.

Our country has been under siege by Haitians for decades, facilitated by corrupt political leaders that profited from illegal Haitian migration. The time is now that we must rise as a people and quash these invaders before they totally destroy the heritage of future Bahamians.

Haitian nationalists, mulatto Fred Smith and his secret mouthpiece Louby Georges would do their fellow countryman better service by addressing human rights violations in their homeland rather than trying to Haitianize the Bahamas!

http://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2017/…

If Bahamian authorities carried out the same acts against Haitians as they routinely inflict upon their own people in Haiti, mulatto Fred Smith and Louby Georges would immediately be in New York petitioning the UN for sanctions against the Bahamas!

Why isn't mulatto Fred Smith and little Haitian Louby Georges the least bit concerned about "human rights" in their homeland but willing to take the Bahamas government to court for nonsense?

They need to go back to the country of their allegiance and help their people!

Why isn't mulatto Haitian Fred Smith and little Haitian Louby Georges helping their people fix the cesspool called Haiti when and where they need it most?

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/h…