By RIEL MAJOR

Tribune Staff Reporter

rmajor@tribunemedia.net

IMMIGRATION Minister Elsworth Johnson yesterday defended the government’s decision to mandate work permits for Hurricane Dorian volunteers entering the Bahamas.

Speaking to reporters outside Cabinet, Mr Johnson said the government still has an obligation to ensure only fit and proper people, who have the country’s best interests at heart, are allowed to enter and leave The Bahamas.

He said: “We have not just national obligations to ensure that the right persons are here but an international obligation. Because we are dealing with the OECD and the Financial (Action) Task Force and we are saying to the world that we can account for persons coming and going.

“This is what the government has done post Hurricane Dorian. We issued the exigency order to allow products and services for the purposes of dealing with the devastation from Hurricane Dorian to come. You saw international groups came in and they fed persons, they were allowed in and their staff was allowed in.”

Mr Johnson added: “(This) is still ongoing because the exigency order is for six months. Persons can’t just turn up; you must understand that around the world after devastation you had persons who came, and they did not have proper intentions. Women and children were hurt.”

Mr Johnson said the government is serious about guarding the country’s borders as well as the redevelopment of Grand Bahama and Abaco.

He said: “This is a very serious thing. We still have to ensure that the fit and proper persons are coming into the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and we can’t tell you everything that happens.

“But I will tell you this, that history has shown in different areas after these things, people come in who are not supposed to be in and you could just do a simple research. Children are hurt and women are hurt.”

The minister said the government is still welcoming and inviting volunteers to come to this country and assist with storm relief and rebuilding.

He said volunteer groups should contact the National Emergency Management Agency or the Department of Immigration about the protocol for entering this country for relief efforts.

“The policy is if you put cogent, fit and proper explanation to the Immigration Department that you are here and you’re not here to displace Bahamians from working, you’re here genuinely to provide a service to assist.”

He added: “In those circumstances we have the authority to exercise our discretion and we have been doing that. I think what we have to do is sometimes, it’s a reason I listed the history of what we have done as a government and as a people.”

He spoke on the issue after there was some commentary on social media about a foreign volunteer needing a work permit.

Mr Johnson said when one clip goes viral on social media, everyone “seems to forget everything”.

He said: “I’ve spoken to the immigration director; he’s looking into this matter. I have spoken to the gentleman who represents the Chamber of Commerce in Abaco. I’ve given him my contacts; the immigration director is in contact with him.

“Our role is to facilitate economic activity and commerce within these islands so that products and services and industry can move freely, and the development of these islands can happen very shortly. The gentleman from Baker’s Bay said in a year, year and a half they can rebuild bigger and better. They have the experience before.”

He added: “So we’ve gone on the ground, the different government agencies and all of the necessary licences will all be applied, but if you can make a reasonable – if someone coming in or if someone wanting someone coming to assist – make a reasonable proposition to the Immigration Department.”