I also dream of weeding out corruption, and real leadership. However, I am hopeful that this is the start of it, that results in a domino effect within other ministries. If this department can act on the will of the people and not self serving interests...it's a start ! It gives me hope. Meanwhile, I will continue to dream of a Bahamian government that is pro-Bahamian.

Asiseeit - I sometimes feel the same way...but I am daring to dream until it becomes clear. I don't understand the publicized warnings, but I will wait and see what comes of it.

Mr. Smith should keep talking. He is only hurting his credibility among non Haitian, and rational thinking, Bahamians. The immigration department should proceed with whatever plans are in place even if it adds to the backlog, and to the number of detainees at the center. We have suspended plans for decades and now that has caught up with us. But this is clearly what Mr. Smith wants as it buys him more time to build his party, and become the eventual leader of the new Haiti, his plans for the Bahamas. His request should not be considered because it is not in the best interest of the country.

Also, how does he know that the NY Times reporter was not given the time of day? Or did he make this up? Nowhere did she say her attempts at reaching the department were ignored, but miraculously she was able to reach them on a Sunday, and partially retract her article. More likely, she reached out after the fact. Also, the OAS already had their conclusions based on prior reports. Anything the government had to add would not have made any difference. All the government can do is make improvements based on what they deem vital, and affordable for our developing nation. And clearly the government was already in process of doing that, kids were not at the facility for months prior to the report. And publicly, the department disputed the pregnant woman's claims. The fact that these were still included in the report, says a lot about this organization.

This is simply a bad idea and the start of something worse. They should forget it! The last thing the Bahamas needs is a convoluted tax structure like the US that encourages poverty, oppresses the middle class and provides loopholes for the rich to avoid paying their fair share. And this is exactly where this is headed. Our politicians need to think outside of the box and stop trying to imitate the US where the salaries are higher even with all the taxes, and the cost of living (for most states) is less.

Why not add a mandatory medical fee for visitors? Each of the millions of tourist that come into the country should pay a ten or twenty dollar fee, in the event they are hospitalized or need medical care...most will not utilize it, but the cost is so low many will not complain. Why not add a similar fee for school aged and college kids for incidents that may occur at school? Ten dollars per semester, again many won't utilize. Why not deduct a reasonable five or ten dollars from every paycheck? Add a dedicated one percent to VAT for healthcare? I am not sure if these ideas are doable, but taxing the already overtaxed Bahamian makes no sense.

Please extend this invitation to include the department of immigration and our country. But hopefully, you are proudly living in Jamaica. Also, please do a little research on your homeland, because you are sadly mistaken if you believe the conditions of your detention centers and prisons are any better. In fact, the complaints and conditions are very similar, and also cited in an IACHR report...based on facts and not biased complaints of career "victims". If it did, I am sure it would have been much worse.

There are two sides to this mess. The illegal Haitians who broke our laws to gain entry and Bahamians (primarily Bahamians of Haitian descent) that allowed them in with no resistance. The Bahamas/Bahamians should not be the only ones who sufffer for this. There should be repercussions for all. Why is that hard to understand? What you and others seem convinced of is that Haitians are powerless victims and should bear no responsibility for their actions. Don't they have the capacity to think and act for themselves? And please don't give us another speel about the hardships that Haitians face that cause them to break the law. Isn't that why many break laws?

Witch hunt? I believe they are the ones doing the smearing. Do you and the other Haitians and Haitian Bahamians ever tire of playing the victim? You're usually not victims, please start to accept this fact. Then maybe we can engage in constructive dialogue based in reality.

That is actually not a bad idea.

And I'm not being facetious...but that idea could be employed for another detention center that is supported by churches, volunteers and human rights organizations.

Honestly, it's not quite the embarassing mess you would like to believe. The international press is not really covering the alleged inhumane conditions and alleged human rights abuses at the center...sorry! They must also take these claims with a grain of salt.

I still can't figure out what's controversial about wanting to know, document and provide status to all undocumented persons living in the country. And subsequently return those without legal status to their native homeland or that of their parents. Only someone who has no concern for the Bahamas, would feel otherwise. Fred Smith and the OAS should stop wasting their time, and instead focus on the epicenter of human rights abusers of Haitians - none other than Haiti. That would resolve the issue for all.