By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

NEARLY two weeks after taking a hard line on immigration, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis struck a softer tone at The Haitian Metropolitan Church of the Nazarene Sunday, stressing this country’s ties to Haitians and pledging to expeditiously grant residency permits and citizenship to those eligible for it.

Where his previous announcement ordering illegal immigrants to leave the country drew praise from Bahamians concerned about the issue, his statements yesterday were a clear appeal to the Haitian community, members of whom had reacted harshly to his ultimatum.

He cautioned reporters that his address did not signify he was “opening the floodgates”.

“We all share a common dignity and there is no room in our hearts and minds for prejudice or discrimination,” he said at the East Street church, attracting applause as Transport and Local Government Minister Frankie Campbell translated his words in Haitian creole.

“We see in countries around the world the results of prejudice. We sometimes see this prejudice in our own hearts and in our own country. After Hurricane Maria recently destroyed much of our Caribbean neighbour Dominica, my government reached out to help the people of Dominica. This was the right thing to do. And we must continue to help each other in times of need. “

Dr Minnis stressed his ultimatum was aimed at illegal immigrants of all nationalities, even as he emphasized the ties between Bahamians and Haitians in particular.

“The Bahamas is made up of people who have their roots throughout the Caribbean and the world,” he said. “We are made up of people of Africa, Europe and Americas. We are made up of people of Dominica, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and from throughout the Caribbean. We are also made up of people from Haiti. The ties between the Bahamas and Haiti go back for much more than a century. Haiti and the Bahamas are bound together by history, by geography and by family ties.

“So many Bahamians like Minister Campbell enjoy such family ties. This is something we should celebrate. But no matter where we hail from, we also celebrate unity in our diversity. We celebrate being one Bahamas. We must be one people in love and unity. We celebrate those who have contributed so much to building our Bahamas, no matter which land we originally came from.”

Dr Minnis said: “To the press, no, I am not opening the floodgates.”

He said: “We must be fair and just towards those who have contributed in so many ways to our Bahamas. This means that we must be fairer in terms of our immigration practices and policies. It is not fair, nor is it just that so many who are born in the Bahamas and are entitled to citizenship have been marginalized. It is not fair, nor just, for so many of our young people to be marginalized, isolated or placed in no man’s land––stateless.

“Many cannot open bank accounts, attend universities,” Dr Minnis continued, “or travel in spite of finishing our high schools and in some instances performing at the top of the class. My government will act in accordance with our constitution and the demands of human dignity and social justice to grant residency and citizenship for eligible individuals who qualify for such status. No, I am not opening the floodgates. Too many people have been waiting a long time to be granted permanent residency. Some people have to go year-after-year for a work permit when they should’ve been granted permanent residency some years ago.

“We must more vigorously address this issue,” he said.

“There are also questions about the grant of citizenship. My government will make an independent board to approve applications of citizenship in accordance with the Constitution and our laws. There will not be political interference in our Constitution.”

On October 11th, Dr Minnis had announced that migrants here illegally must leave by December 31, 2017.

“After which period they will be aggressively pursued and deported,” he said at the time. “This applies to all nationalities.”