By LETRE SWEETING

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

SHANTY town residents are calling on government to be sympathetic following the lifting of an injunction to legally allow officials to evict residents and tear down the unregulated communities throughout The Bahamas.

Residents of a shanty town off Joe Farrington Road spoke to The Tribune yesterday and voiced their concerns following a ruling by Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson on Friday at the conclusion of a legal battle filed in 2018.

A 15-year-old resident who is living in the shanty town said the daily stress of having to provide for her family coupled with the fear of now being evicted and having her home torn down is scary.

“It’s crazy,” the teen said. “(Her mother) doesn’t understand stuff and can’t go to work, so I have to go work and I don’t make much. And I have a brother too. My (brother) had to live with someone else because my mommy can’t feed him and I can’t feed him,” the girl said.

“We won’t have no place to live. I don’t have money to pay rent. I don’t even have a father. I don’t even know, man. I’m so scared,” she said.

“Even my homework has dropped. One time I used to make 3.0 (GPA), but now I’ve dropped all the way to 1.0. I was trying to look for jobs. I trying to go back up now. I have to go by people to get (an) internet connection to work,” the girl said.

Another shanty town resident, Julien Olibrice said she feels hurt that the situation has come to a point where there is no sympathy for persons who are just trying to live as best they can.

“I really feel bad about that. For me, I voted for this prime minister, I have six children, I don’t have a job. I am their daddy and their mommy. Sometimes, I have to send them to school and I don’t have any money. I am looking for a job everywhere, I can’t find no job,” she said.

“If they come (and demolish homes), where am I going to live with my kids? Why did I vote for them? They don’t want to give anybody a job, everybody here, where are they going to live?” Ms Olibrice said.

“Come on, man. We are Haitians, but what did we do bad? They don’t want to see us. Just talk with us, tell us what we have to do and we could do it,” she said.

A third resident who gave his name as Mr Francillon also expressed similar concerns.

“This situation is very hurtful, but I cannot stop the government. The government is the chief of the country. Whatever was decided, we accept it, but at least have some sympathy on our situation,” he said.

“If you want us to let go of everything in this road, it is going to affect many livelihoods. Is there any other way for us to live, like homes or anything, because we don’t mind paying rent,” Mr Francillon said.

Other residents said that as the government is in charge, they have no choice but to live with whatever is decided and whatever happens.

“I don’t have any problem with the government because they have the authority to do whatever they have to do. The government is a top force of the country. I don’t mind leaving if the government has a proper place to put us. I don’t mind paying rent,” a resident named Mr Vladimy said.

“Not only in this shanty town, but in all of them, some of us have work permits, but not even one job we can receive. They are in charge, but just give us a chance,” resident Arold Domer added.

Shanty towns across the country are predominantly populated with Haitian migrants and Bahamians of Haitian descent. Activists have said many residents of these impoverished, unregulated communities are in the country legally.

These concerns come as gang violence and protests in Haiti are at an all-time high, which prompted Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis last month to order an immediate involuntary departure from Haiti of all diplomatic personnel or as soon as security conditions permit, as a temporary measure, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Then on Saturday, two Haitian nationals filed a complaint against the Department of Immigration (DOI) after they were beaten by men dressed as immigration officers this weekend at a barbershop in the Bacardi Road area.

After videos circulating on social media depicting two men being beaten by men dressed as immigration officers in an establishment, the DOI assistant director said they do not condone abuse of any kind and there is an “ongoing investigation” taking place concerning the matter.