14398: Schweissing: Nassau Guardian: Anglican Archbishop wants Nat'l Immigration Policy (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Daniel Schweissing <dan_schweissing@hotmail.com>

Bahamas

The Nassau Guardian Friday, January 10, 2003

Anglican Archbishop wants National Immigration Policy

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BY KEVA LIGHTBOURNE

GUARDIAN STAFF REPORTER


Anglican Archbishop Drexel Gomez on Tuesday came out in favour of the
establishment of a National Policy on Immigration to be enunciated as
clearly as is humanly possible.

As a special guest on the ZNS talk show 'Immediate Response' hosted by
veteran journalist Darold Miller, Archbishop Gomez said part of the policy
will be that "we will accept immigrants of a certain nature and number."

He charged that, "If we continue to progress, there will always be
opportunities for us to offer employment, but it must be on a regulated
basis and properly set up."

But, he noted, The Bahamas' immediate problem is its relationship with the
Republic of Haiti. "Conversations are in progress, and I gather a draft
agreement is before the two governments. I don't know the content of that
agreement, but I really hope that it would be possible for us to come to
some kind of accommodation because of the inhumane situation that presently
exists in Haiti," the Archbishop said.

"I know it is not our problem, that's the Haitian problem, but that nation
is experiencing grave and serious problems. I for one would be very happy if
the United Sates would take some of the money that is going to be spent on
Iraq to spend on Haiti to help to give it an infrastructure and to help to
give that poor nation a chance," he said.

"Whenever you see a woman and her little child are prepared to risk the
waters and come on the kind of boats that they come...these people aren't
doing it just to get out, they are doing it for survival because things are
so bad. So from a humanitarian point of view, I would like to see some
organised system set up where we can obtain a certain degree of labour in a
certain number, but it would have to be carefully and properly organised and
scrutinised," said Archbishop Gomez.

"We will have to deal with those who are here already. Some obviously would
have to be sent back and some may be offered, not so much citizenship, but
residency on certain terms and conditions," he explained.

In November, Defence Force and Police officials pulled the bodies of four
males out of the waters near Prince George Dock, in two separate incidents.
The men, believed to be in their early 20's or 30's, were believed to be of
Haitian descent.

At that time, officials believed that the men were passengers onboard a
Haitian blue and white sloop that was anchored at the dock. They believed
that the men attempted to swim their way across, but were unsuccessful.

But of utmost importance, Archbishop Gomez said, The Bahamas would have to
improve on its surveillance, an area in which it relies heavily on the
United States Coast Guard.

He voiced his support for the plan to upgrade the Inagua station and make it
a focal point for dealing with the Haitian problem.

"All of these are going to cost money but they need some serious thought and
consideration. I would want Bahamians to realise that we are not dealing
with statistics, we are dealing with fellow human beings who are
experiencing serious hardship and who are looking desperately to improve the
quality of their life. I don't want us to lose sight of the humanitarian
side of things," he stressed.

During an address to the Rotary Club of West Nassau last year, Defence Force
chief Commodore Davy Rolle said that one of the problems facing the Royal
Bahamas Defence Force in combating the illegal Haitian trade is the
deficiency of ship-borne radar in spotting illegal immigrant sloops.

But with improved air surveillance, he said, the Force's chances of
detection will greatly improve.

Too, the Government last month signed a joint communiqué with Haiti aimed at
curbing the rising tide of illegal migration to The Bahamas, cutting off
shipment routes to drug traffickers, and increasing trade and investment
between the two countries.

At that time, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Public Service Fred
Mitchell said that The Bahamas was not prepared to continue to absorb more
Haitians fleeing grinding poverty and political instability in Haiti.



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