Heavy Haitian burden
U.S. cables question The Bahamas' capacity to manage illegal immigration
BY ERICA WELLS
NG Managing Editor
thenassauguardian
erica@nasguard.com
When the United Nations last week urged countries with high Haitian refugee populations to stop repatriations, the highly emotional and contentious issues surrounding The Bahamas’ own immigration challenges once again took center stage.
The U.N. argues that the conditions in the impoverished country continue to be “precarious” since the January 2010 7.0 magnitude earthquake. The Bahamas, which temporarily halted repatriations to Haiti following the earthquake, says that if a formal request is made, it will be taken under consideration. Illegal Haitian migration places a heavy burden on the local economy.
It’s an issue that is always there but the approach to tackling the country’s immigration issues — largely surrounding Haitians — has been an obvious challenge for successive governments due in large part to limited resources and some would say, a lack of planning.
The Bahamas’ challenge of illegal migration was a topic of a 2003 confidential U.S. Embassy cable obtained by The Nassau Guardian through WikiLeaks.
The cable, headlined, “Challenges of Illegal Migration; Can The Bahamas Manage?” addressed the need for The Bahamas to add a mass migration contingency component to its ongoing natural disaster planning.
The cable stated that the Department of Immigration was unprepared for mass migration.
Then Director of Immigration Vernon Burrows admitted to Nancy Iris, Deputy Director for the Bureau of Population, Refugee and Migration (PRM) who visited Nassau from October 13 - October 17, 2003 that “migration is a scary issue for us. We can’t handle more (migrants) than we already have,” according to the cable.
At that time, the Carmichael Road Detention Center had the capacity to house 500 migrants indoors, with enough land to erect tents to provide shelter for an additional 500 detainees. At the time there were just under 200 people being detained, the majority being Haitians and Cubans.
“If there should be a sudden increase in these numbers, there is no GCOB (Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas) plan for how to attain the additional food, beds, or shelter.
“Burrows suggested that GCOB has no contingency plan for a spike in migration, although this was disputed by other government officials who claimed that a draft plan is under preparation.”
The cable also noted the “complexity and inefficiency” of processing asylum requests in The Bahamas.
Once one of the few trained senior immigration officials has completed the interview, the information is sent to UNHCR in Washington for an assessment of the case. Their recommendation is then forwarded to the Department of Immigration, who then passes it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Cabinet approval.
According to the cable, the senior immigration official who spoke with Ms. Iris admitted that this is a slow and laborious process, especially given that the final designation must be made by Cabinet, “an unusually high level of decision making for such a determination”.
“The senior official told Ms. Iris that where Cubans are automatically pre screened for asylum, Haitians must request the interview. Few Haitians actually request an interview for asylum, perhaps because they believe their efforts would be futile,” according to the cable.
“Haitians are also at a disadvantage in the interview process because there is no full-time Creole-speaker at the detention center, and despite relatively high Haitian' migrants' rate of illiteracy, there is limited help in filling out the requisite forms for seeking asylum. For calendar year 2002, only four migrants were given refugee status, according to Bahamian officials.”
The cable also noted that the Detention Center used to house illegal migrants appeared inadequate in terms of space and services given the number of detainees housed there.
“Children held at this facility are given no access to education even if their length of stay extends for several months. Limited healthcare, restricted access to outside communication and legal advice, difficulty in obtaining toiletries and necessary clothing, and small food portions are the main complaints from migrants.
“Should the Detention Center ever receive a large increase in its numbers, (an official) admitted that the sewage and plumbing systems, security and the current food distribution method would be woefully inadequate.”
There were also concerns of an uprising should the migrants' numbers increase, as various ethnic groups of different languages and cultures are held in the same dorms at a time.
A political mine field
A U.S. Embassy official concluded in a separate cable that the bottom line for The Bahamas on Haiti “is the fear of mass migration and doing anything that might trigger an outflow”.
This concern was highlighted in a Confidential 2003 cable headlined “Bahamas Unlikely to Pressure Aristide.”
While then Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell acknowledged problems with democracy in Haiti at the time, he made it clear to U.S. Embassy officials that The Bahamian government preferred continued engagement with President Aristide to any type of public confrontation.
“Mitchell’s main concern is doing whatever he can to slow down illegal immigration from Haiti — a key domestic political imperative — and he has been fruitless pursing an immigration accord with the Government of Haiti for several months,” according to the cable.
The cable noted that Mitchell in particular made conclusion of an immigration agreement his top foreign policy priority.
“Our sources in the Immigration Department tell us the negotiations are not going well, stalled over Haitian insistence on an amnesty for the 30,000 – 100,000 Haitians already in The Bahamas (most illegally),” stated the cable.
“Such concession would be suicide for Mitchell in the xenophobic Bahamian political landscape. “
According to the cable, the pursuit of that agreement and any other means to slow down migration would continue to push any concerns for democracy and human rights into the backseat.
“While The Bahamas will remain engaged on Haiti, the Christie government will resist any effort to put real teeth into any diplomatic effort to Pressure Aristide, preferring (endless) conversation and dialogue to the alternative,” the cable stated.
A thorny issue
The issue of Haitian migration obviously goes beyond the country’s capacity to deal with a mass influx, or the political fallout of such an event.
The topic of illegal immigration and how to stem its flow and impact on the country spurs heated discussions.
Author and playwright and Nassau Guardian columnist Ian Strachan recently wrote in his East St. Blues column that the Haitian “problem” is shaped by a number of factors.
“Haitian migrants are a crucial source of cheap, reliable, motivated labor, particularly in the agricultural sector. Increasingly, however, as the middle class shrinks and the ranks of the Bahamian working poor swell, there is growing resentment toward Haitian immigrants and their children because they are now competing for jobs deemed above their social station,” Strachan writes.
“Where once a Haitian only worked as a gardener, farmer, grounds keeper or “handyman”—work young Bahamian men have looked down on for the past forty years—they are now working at gas stations, in hardware stores, and gaining employment as masons and carpenters, jobs Bahamian men have dominated. Many a Bahamian contractor prefers Haitian immigrant labor to Bahamian, not simply because it is cheaper, but because it is better.
“There is also the real and perceived strain on national services, such as education and health care, created by the immigrant influx. And there are national security concerns, fed by the fear of Haitian immigrants ‘violent’ people. Added to this are Bahamians’ fears of cultural erasure, and political/economic displacement due to the perception of Haitians as a lurking enemy intent on ‘taking over’.”
Well-known businessman Rick Lowe, in a recent letter to the editor wrote that the approach to finding a permanent solution to the country’s immigration issues has been “lackadaisical”.
Lowe offered the following suggestions:
• Policing of illegal immigrants who are here must be improved.
• Legalize the status of many of the Haitians who have been here for generations.
• Provide property rights for the squatters and figure out how to phase their status in so they can eventually become full citizens or leave voluntarily.
The U.S. Embassy cables also note the sensitive social issues connected to the Haitian population in The Bahamas.
“Bahamians strongly resent the social cost, cultural impact, and crime linked – in popular stereotypes certainly – to Haitian immigration. These sentiments are confirmed in contacts with government officials, political activists, especially the youth, and NGO leaders who interact with both communities,” the Americans observed in a cable.
“Haitians are thought to impose disproportionate demands on inadequate social services, primarily health and education, due to the higher birth rate in the Haitian community.”
These issues, the Americans observed, have the potential to explode someday in The Bahamas if constructive policies are not introduced to further integration.
Immigration is a national issue that will no doubt top any administration’s national agenda and will require some tough and politically tough decisions.
Jun 27, 2011
thenassauguardian
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
Showing posts with label U.S. Embassy WikiLeaks Bahamas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label U.S. Embassy WikiLeaks Bahamas. Show all posts
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
WikiLeaks: 2007 U.S. Embassy diplomatic cables on the 2007 general election in The Bahamas
Cables examined 2007 PLP loss
CANDIA DAMES
NG News Editor
thenassauguardian
candia@nasguard.com
As politicians in The Bahamas craft their strategies ahead of the next general election, an examination of U.S. diplomatic cables on the 2007 poll may prove instructive.
One May 2007 cable said the Progressive Liberal Party held many advantages going into that election.
“It was a well-financed incumbent, held 29 of the 40 seats in Parliament, and boasted of a strong economy, job growth, and billions of dollars in new investments,” wrote a U.S. Embassy official.
“However, the PLP made a tactical error by focusing the election on the personalities of the two party leaders.
“Unlike former Prime Minister (Perry) Christie, (FNM leader Hubert) Ingraham is decisive — so much so that many blamed the FNM's 2002 election defeat on ‘Hubiggety’ Ingraham's imperial attitude.
“By focusing on personality, the PLP allowed the FNM to hammer away at the themes of trust and efficiency.”
It is not clear which official wrote that particular cable, but the name of Brent Hardt, then charge d’ affaires, is attached.
The cable noted that Ingraham, also known as ‘The Delivery Boy,’ is famous for his blunt honesty and his ability to deliver on his promises.
“This contrasted favorably for voters with Christie's reputation for tardiness, lack of control over his ministers, and inability to make tough decisions.”
The U.S. Embassy official wrote that the PLP's campaign theme —"So Said, So Done" — only served to highlight its own lack of action on outstanding electoral promises.
The cable said the FNM's theme — "It's About Trust" — resonated with a populace frustrated by Christie's scandal-plagued MPs, and the FNM buttressed this theme with pledges of open government and anti-corruption legislation.
The FNM's victory came also from its superior party organization, the cable said.
“In a 2005 conversation with the charge, PLP chairman Raynard Rigby had praised Ingraham's skills as a grassroots campaign organizer and predicted a tough fight for the PLP if Ingraham resumed party leadership,” the cable wrote.
“Rigby's prediction came true, as the FNM's party machinery was the driving force during the election. FNM constituency workers were electronically connected to headquarters and its detailed electronic maps and databases, with clear plans for house-to-house outreach and a unified approach to national advertising.”
The cable added, “Even on election day, FNM election workers coordinated like cogs in a well-oiled national machine while PLP workers labored, constituency by constituency, with little evident coordination.”
In a pre-election meeting, Ingraham told the embassy that Christie was a likable man and gifted speaker, but he was the last person you would want to organize a government.
“The prime minister's office was notorious inside and outside the government for its inefficiency and disorder,” the cable said.
“The PLP's inability to organize itself effectively for the election clearly flowed from the top.
“In fact, Christie's indecisiveness kept him from calling an early election, when the FNM was in leadership crisis and Ingraham still had one foot in retirement.
“Instead he waited until the last possible moment and thereby allowed Ingraham and the FNM the maximum time to get their feared organizational machinery in gear.”
The cable said demographic shifts also played a key role in the election.
“Traditional PLP seats in the low-income center of New Providence and traditional FNM seats on the beachfronts were fairly secure for each party,” it said.
“However, as The Bahamas has developed and as income and education levels have risen, constituents have moved from the traditional PLP areas into new middle-class areas.”
This shift has expanded the potential FNM base and eroded traditional loyalty to the PLP as the party of independence among those who view the FNM agenda as better suited to middle-class sensibilities, the cable said.
As a result, the FNM took most of the battleground districts with mixed constituencies, it added.
Another key demographic change was the large increase in young and first-time voters who are less tolerant of traditional Caribbean handout politics and want their representatives to deliver good governance, it added.
In fact, perceptions of poor PLP performance in government dogged PLP candidates, the embassy official wrote.
“While the FNM candidates discussed their plans to develop local government and improve services, the PLP candidates were forced to defend their sketchy record,” the cable said.
“In many cases, constituents were fed up with poor trash collection, bad roads, and perceived indifference of the parliamentary representatives to their concerns.”
According to the cable, these three winning factors — demographic shifts, national party organization and a focus on good governance —framed an election of differing campaign styles and parties with differing core values.
“The PLP is still the party of Lynden Pindling, the father of Bahamian independence whose later years were tarnished by allegations of drug-related corruption,” the embassy official wrote.
Rooted in the working-class neighborhoods of The Bahamas and quick to evoke issue of race, the PLP continued to campaign in the Pindling era style of perks for constituents, the cable said.
“The FNM victory reflects a politically maturing Bahamas, focused on modern governance and a more integrated, national approach to politics that clearly attracted younger and middle-class voters towards the party.”
The official noted that the 2007 race was the closest in decades and said “the PLP is well positioned to be a strong opposition in Parliament.”
Jun 20, 2011
thenassauguardian
CANDIA DAMES
NG News Editor
thenassauguardian
candia@nasguard.com
As politicians in The Bahamas craft their strategies ahead of the next general election, an examination of U.S. diplomatic cables on the 2007 poll may prove instructive.
One May 2007 cable said the Progressive Liberal Party held many advantages going into that election.
“It was a well-financed incumbent, held 29 of the 40 seats in Parliament, and boasted of a strong economy, job growth, and billions of dollars in new investments,” wrote a U.S. Embassy official.
“However, the PLP made a tactical error by focusing the election on the personalities of the two party leaders.
“Unlike former Prime Minister (Perry) Christie, (FNM leader Hubert) Ingraham is decisive — so much so that many blamed the FNM's 2002 election defeat on ‘Hubiggety’ Ingraham's imperial attitude.
“By focusing on personality, the PLP allowed the FNM to hammer away at the themes of trust and efficiency.”
It is not clear which official wrote that particular cable, but the name of Brent Hardt, then charge d’ affaires, is attached.
The cable noted that Ingraham, also known as ‘The Delivery Boy,’ is famous for his blunt honesty and his ability to deliver on his promises.
“This contrasted favorably for voters with Christie's reputation for tardiness, lack of control over his ministers, and inability to make tough decisions.”
The U.S. Embassy official wrote that the PLP's campaign theme —"So Said, So Done" — only served to highlight its own lack of action on outstanding electoral promises.
The cable said the FNM's theme — "It's About Trust" — resonated with a populace frustrated by Christie's scandal-plagued MPs, and the FNM buttressed this theme with pledges of open government and anti-corruption legislation.
The FNM's victory came also from its superior party organization, the cable said.
“In a 2005 conversation with the charge, PLP chairman Raynard Rigby had praised Ingraham's skills as a grassroots campaign organizer and predicted a tough fight for the PLP if Ingraham resumed party leadership,” the cable wrote.
“Rigby's prediction came true, as the FNM's party machinery was the driving force during the election. FNM constituency workers were electronically connected to headquarters and its detailed electronic maps and databases, with clear plans for house-to-house outreach and a unified approach to national advertising.”
The cable added, “Even on election day, FNM election workers coordinated like cogs in a well-oiled national machine while PLP workers labored, constituency by constituency, with little evident coordination.”
In a pre-election meeting, Ingraham told the embassy that Christie was a likable man and gifted speaker, but he was the last person you would want to organize a government.
“The prime minister's office was notorious inside and outside the government for its inefficiency and disorder,” the cable said.
“The PLP's inability to organize itself effectively for the election clearly flowed from the top.
“In fact, Christie's indecisiveness kept him from calling an early election, when the FNM was in leadership crisis and Ingraham still had one foot in retirement.
“Instead he waited until the last possible moment and thereby allowed Ingraham and the FNM the maximum time to get their feared organizational machinery in gear.”
The cable said demographic shifts also played a key role in the election.
“Traditional PLP seats in the low-income center of New Providence and traditional FNM seats on the beachfronts were fairly secure for each party,” it said.
“However, as The Bahamas has developed and as income and education levels have risen, constituents have moved from the traditional PLP areas into new middle-class areas.”
This shift has expanded the potential FNM base and eroded traditional loyalty to the PLP as the party of independence among those who view the FNM agenda as better suited to middle-class sensibilities, the cable said.
As a result, the FNM took most of the battleground districts with mixed constituencies, it added.
Another key demographic change was the large increase in young and first-time voters who are less tolerant of traditional Caribbean handout politics and want their representatives to deliver good governance, it added.
In fact, perceptions of poor PLP performance in government dogged PLP candidates, the embassy official wrote.
“While the FNM candidates discussed their plans to develop local government and improve services, the PLP candidates were forced to defend their sketchy record,” the cable said.
“In many cases, constituents were fed up with poor trash collection, bad roads, and perceived indifference of the parliamentary representatives to their concerns.”
According to the cable, these three winning factors — demographic shifts, national party organization and a focus on good governance —framed an election of differing campaign styles and parties with differing core values.
“The PLP is still the party of Lynden Pindling, the father of Bahamian independence whose later years were tarnished by allegations of drug-related corruption,” the embassy official wrote.
Rooted in the working-class neighborhoods of The Bahamas and quick to evoke issue of race, the PLP continued to campaign in the Pindling era style of perks for constituents, the cable said.
“The FNM victory reflects a politically maturing Bahamas, focused on modern governance and a more integrated, national approach to politics that clearly attracted younger and middle-class voters towards the party.”
The official noted that the 2007 race was the closest in decades and said “the PLP is well positioned to be a strong opposition in Parliament.”
Jun 20, 2011
thenassauguardian
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Fred Mitchell - Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs critical of U.S. Embassy officials in Nassau on WikiLeaks diplomatic cables
Mitchell critical of Americans over WikiLeaks cables
CHESTER ROBARDS
Guardian Staff Reporter
thenassauguardian
chester@nasguard.com
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell was critical yesterday of U.S. Embassy officials responsible for certain information contained in diplomatic cables obtained by The Nassau Guardian through the whistleblower organization WikiLeaks.
Mitchell said the Americans accepted “propaganda lines” about the Progressive Liberal Party.
“It strains credibility to me that U.S. professional diplomats, a person so high as a deputy chief of mission who was actually sitting in the seat of the ambassador, would accept and adopt uncritically propaganda lines from the Free National Movement (FNM),” Mitchell said in the House of Assembly during his contribution to the budget debate.
“That is simply not a professional report.”
During the years of the (Perry) Christie administration, deputy chief of mission was Dr. Brent Hardt.
One cable that followed a meeting between the Progressive Liberal Party and U.S. Embassy officials after the 2007 general election, painted the PLP as a party that “seemed more interested in photographs and a press release of the meeting to signal their continuing good relations with the U.S.”
Yesterday, however, Mitchell dismissed the cables as “untested” and “gossipy,”.
“But the country can learn from this,” Mitchell said.
“Our public officials including myself can learn the cautionary tale of being careful with your mouths, not to let these positions cause you to show off.
“...Secondly, that Bahamian public officials must stand up for The Bahamas at all times. Bahamians must come first.
“Thirdly that Bahamians should not allow their opinions of themselves to be governed by their ability to travel to the United States.”
Mitchell suggested that the U.S. Embassy consider disassociating itself with the information in the leaked cables so as to dismiss the notion that they were an official view of events.
And though Mitchell insisted that the cables have become (seemingly reliable) tools to attack the PLP, cables on the Free National Movement (FNM) has already been released as well.
“Here we have a press that does not support the PLP,” Mitchell said.
“They oppose the PLP. They have now used their resources to get these so-called cables. They do not get an independent panel to edit and release the information.
“Instead they arrogate to themselves the right to selectively choose what to release. Now in a situation where there is support for the FNM why would anybody not be surprised that the PLP is the subject of these attacks with the same tendentious propaganda and slogans of the FNM now repeated in the mouths allegedly of U.S. diplomats.”
Mitchell also scolded Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham for “spilling all his guts” to “junior U.S. officials,” which the cables also exposed.
Mitchell was referring to a meeting Ingraham had in 2003 with a U.S. Embassy official in which Ingraham extensively discussed local politics, according to a cable.
“(Some people) wonder if it is possible for a former president of the United Stares to spill his guts to junior Bahamian diplomatic officers about his own people,” Mitchell said.
He called for current Minister of Foreign Affairs Brent Symonette to use this “teachable” moment in U.S./Bahamian political affairs to explain to the Bahamian people the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the role of The Bahamas as a member of a global community.
Mitchell contended that the cables have not changed The Bahamas’ relationship with the U.S.
“The relationship is sound as ever,” he said.
“These alleged cables do not change the fundamentals with the United States,” said Mitchell. “This is a teachable moment. And I call on the ministry to use its resources to teach the Bahamian people about their country and its role in the world.”
Jun 01, 2011
thenassauguardian
CHESTER ROBARDS
Guardian Staff Reporter
thenassauguardian
chester@nasguard.com
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell was critical yesterday of U.S. Embassy officials responsible for certain information contained in diplomatic cables obtained by The Nassau Guardian through the whistleblower organization WikiLeaks.
Mitchell said the Americans accepted “propaganda lines” about the Progressive Liberal Party.
“It strains credibility to me that U.S. professional diplomats, a person so high as a deputy chief of mission who was actually sitting in the seat of the ambassador, would accept and adopt uncritically propaganda lines from the Free National Movement (FNM),” Mitchell said in the House of Assembly during his contribution to the budget debate.
“That is simply not a professional report.”
During the years of the (Perry) Christie administration, deputy chief of mission was Dr. Brent Hardt.
One cable that followed a meeting between the Progressive Liberal Party and U.S. Embassy officials after the 2007 general election, painted the PLP as a party that “seemed more interested in photographs and a press release of the meeting to signal their continuing good relations with the U.S.”
Yesterday, however, Mitchell dismissed the cables as “untested” and “gossipy,”.
“But the country can learn from this,” Mitchell said.
“Our public officials including myself can learn the cautionary tale of being careful with your mouths, not to let these positions cause you to show off.
“...Secondly, that Bahamian public officials must stand up for The Bahamas at all times. Bahamians must come first.
“Thirdly that Bahamians should not allow their opinions of themselves to be governed by their ability to travel to the United States.”
Mitchell suggested that the U.S. Embassy consider disassociating itself with the information in the leaked cables so as to dismiss the notion that they were an official view of events.
And though Mitchell insisted that the cables have become (seemingly reliable) tools to attack the PLP, cables on the Free National Movement (FNM) has already been released as well.
“Here we have a press that does not support the PLP,” Mitchell said.
“They oppose the PLP. They have now used their resources to get these so-called cables. They do not get an independent panel to edit and release the information.
“Instead they arrogate to themselves the right to selectively choose what to release. Now in a situation where there is support for the FNM why would anybody not be surprised that the PLP is the subject of these attacks with the same tendentious propaganda and slogans of the FNM now repeated in the mouths allegedly of U.S. diplomats.”
Mitchell also scolded Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham for “spilling all his guts” to “junior U.S. officials,” which the cables also exposed.
Mitchell was referring to a meeting Ingraham had in 2003 with a U.S. Embassy official in which Ingraham extensively discussed local politics, according to a cable.
“(Some people) wonder if it is possible for a former president of the United Stares to spill his guts to junior Bahamian diplomatic officers about his own people,” Mitchell said.
He called for current Minister of Foreign Affairs Brent Symonette to use this “teachable” moment in U.S./Bahamian political affairs to explain to the Bahamian people the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the role of The Bahamas as a member of a global community.
Mitchell contended that the cables have not changed The Bahamas’ relationship with the U.S.
“The relationship is sound as ever,” he said.
“These alleged cables do not change the fundamentals with the United States,” said Mitchell. “This is a teachable moment. And I call on the ministry to use its resources to teach the Bahamian people about their country and its role in the world.”
Jun 01, 2011
thenassauguardian
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)