Dept of Immigration dress code sparks debate

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Are you in favour of the dress code at the Department of Immigration?

  • Yes, I am in favour of the dress code 57%
  • No, I am not in favour of the dress code 43%

285 total votes.

By MORGAN ADDERLEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

madderley@tribunemedia.net

THE Department of Immigration’s dress code has sparked public debate, with people divided over whether the rules are an example of old-fashioned beliefs and institutional misogyny while others see no issue with the standard.

On Thursday, Immigration Minister Brent Symonette said people must be “properly dressed” when they come into the government building, in response to reports that women have been turned away from the site for wearing shorts.

When asked to elaborate on “properly dressed”, Mr Symonette said “respectable clothing” and added the rules are applicable to men and women.

On Friday, The Tribune canvassed the Department of Immigration and witnessed women being denied entry — including this reporter, who was dressed in office wear: a sleeveless blouse and slacks.

“I was coming to tell you can’t come in either,” a security guard told this reporter. When pressed on the matter, the security guard admitted the rules are a matter of the officers’ discretion.

Another woman, wearing a knee-high sleeveless dress, was also turned away at the door.

“When I reach inside, they stopped me. They said I can’t come in there without a jacket on me,” the 24-year-old woman said.

photo

The notice at the Department of Immigration.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was given no specific reason as to why her attire was not appropriate, but was directed to a sign.

The notice, erected on an exterior wall, reads: “No swearing; no loitering; no short, shorts; no sleeveless tee’s; no hats; no shades; no weapons.”

The officer noted the sign had gone up in the “last month or so” but said the rules had been “verbally communicated” for at least the past five years.

As this conversation occurred, a man walked past in shorts. When The Tribune pointed this out, the officer noted the sign reads “short-shorts”.

The 24-year-old woman eventually had to borrow a jacket from a stranger in order to enter the premises.

Another woman, who wished to be identified as Ms Thompson, supported the rule.

“Once you come into a business place, I think you should have a mindset to dress (appropriately) and not to have on no short sleeve, nothing what’s too short, nothing that’s open and revealing,” the 27-year-old said. “Because this is a business place and you should at least be covered.”

“The sign should not have been there because people should have kept that in they head to know that ‘hey you’re going to a business place’.

When asked her response to those who would say the phrase “properly dressed” is difficult to define, she said: “I don’t think it’s that hard to define. But if you know you wearing a sleeveless shirt, I think you should just have on a lil shawl or a lil sweater, lil jacket, however.”

Ms Thompson herself was wearing a shirt with holes in the design, but she noted that she had brought a sweater.

Mr Symonette defended the rule to The Tribune Thursday. “We’re having people properly dressed to come into immigration, not sloppily dressed. Is that a problem?” he asked.

“If you see what people wear and carry on when they come into (the Department of) Immigration — we’re trying to improve the ambience here. There’s a large sign outside that (speaks) about properly dressed, no swearing, no bunch of other stuff,” he continued.

Mr Symonette elaborated that “properly dressed” refers to “respectable clothing”.

When asked about concerns that such rules perpetuate ‘slut-shaming’, Mr Symonette replied: “Then fine. Then fine. And they’re applying to the government of the Bahamas for a permit from the government of the Bahamas? Please. That’s reflective as well.”

Mr Symonette also noted the rules apply to both men and women.

“That goes for everybody,” he said. “Proper dress at immigration, or don’t come in.”