14957: Bellegarde-Smith: HAITIANS: Turks and Caicos: A British colonial hangover (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: P D Bellegarde-Smith <pbs@csd.uwm.edu>


BBC Radio FOUR: Crossing Continents
Thursday, 19 December, 2002,
Turks and Caicos: A British colonial hangover

Claire Bolderson
Reporting from The Turks and Caicos Islands


The Turks and Caicos Islands are an exclusive Caribbean holiday destination.
But international treaties of the "rights of the child" are being flouted.
Claire Bolderson argues, the British Government is ultimately responsible.


The tiny Turks and Caicos Islands lie at the end of the Bahamas chain.

Wealthy investors deposit their money in the island's off-shore banks.

Well heeled Americans and Europeans either live in luxury villas that line
the shores of the main island Providenciales or stay in one of the growing
number of luxury hotels erected on the miles of unspoilt pristine beaches.

The islands boast the fastest growing economy in the Caribbean thanks, in
part, to one key selling point.

The islands are a British Overseas Territory and it markets itself on the
security and stability that the title "British" bestows.

But behind the affluent veneer lurks a different story.

Questions are being asked of Britain's promise, in the British Overseas
Territories Act of May 2002, to improve human rights and good governance in
its remaining outposts of empire.



Haiti, 90 miles to the south, is the source of nearly all manual labour on
the islands.

Haitians build and service the tourist industry and many have been living in
the islands for years.

But this year when dozens of children of Haitian descent tried to register
for school at the beginning of term, they were turned away.

They did not have the "appropriate documents".

Children used to be listed on their fathers' work permits but suddenly, many
have been deleted.

Even some of those whose parents have been naturalised as citizens in the
islands suddenly have no clear immigration status.

The children are banned from going to school.

Tucked away barely 50 yards from one of the biggest hotels on Providenciales
Island is "The Bight" - a Haitian community shanty town built on the side of
a small rocky hill.

Whole families of six or seven live in one room in cramped plywood houses.
There is no running water and only intermittent electricity.

These people are not illegal immigrants.

They pay for their annual work permits and even make national insurance
contributions.

But the Turks and Caicos government, fearing a growing tide of boat people
from a deteriorating Haiti, stop them putting down roots.

Even those who have been there for years, building large houses for north
Americans and Europeans, or working in hotels, never know from one year to
the next whether their permits will be renewed.

The Turks and Caicos Islands want foreigners but also want to dictate the
terms.

They often complain about being "out-numbered" so immigration rules keep
changing.

Our research shows that decisions on who should be allowed to stay are
arbitrary at best.

For Haitians without the correct documents, deportations are almost instant
with no chance of appeal.

Getting residents to speak on the record is difficult.

Even the richer, mostly white, foreigners with successful businesses and
money in the bank are nervous.

Only promises of anonymity and name changes persuade people to talk.

They all fear government reprisals.

One young Haitian woman said her nervous boss rang her as soon as she knew
she was going to talk to the BBC to tell her "be careful what you say."

"Freedom of Speech is not protected here," said one local priest.

Through the Governor of the islands, the Foreign Office in London is
responsible for external and internal security and for the police.

But in a prepared statement, they say: "Immigration is a matter for the
islands own government."

A request for an interview with the Foreign Office was turned down.

The new schools policy in the islands contravenes international treaties on
the rights of the child which Britain has signed.

But, it is difficult to persuade officials in London of seriously
undemocratic practices in a territory that flaunts its "British" name.


Hear the radio broadcast at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsa/live/crossing_20021219.ram

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