Thread: Stiffer Penalties Planned For Employers of Illegal Immigrant

http://www.jonesbahamas.com/?c=45&a=513 ... e4fe066d16


13th September
Stiffer Penalties Planned For Employers of Illegal Immigrants
Bianca Symonette
Minister of Labour and Immigration Vincent Peet
Residents who give refuge to illegal immigrants may soon face stiffer penalties as officials try to crack down on the problem of these refugees being given employment.

Immigration Minister Vincent Peet said he is currently reviewing penalties with a view to proposing amendments.

He made the disclosure while on a mission on Monday to forge strategic partnerships with members of the community to deal with the problem once and for all.

Minister Peet and immigration officials were in the Nassau Village and Joe Farrington Road areas.

"Those who employ illegal immigrants should note that they will be charged, brought before the courts and they will be fined," Minister Peet said.

"We are going to be reviewing the penalties for illegal immigrants and we will be increasing [those penalties] shortly because we believe that no matter how many immigrants we send back home, those who come and are employed illegally by Bahamians are encouraging them to return."

Minister Peet appealed to residents to join the fight in ridding the country of illegal immigrants.

"The Government of The Bahamas takes this whole illegal immigration situation very seriously and we have been showing this in more recent times," he said.

"We have intensified our efforts at the Department of Immigration to ensure that most of the personnel will be properly deployed in the area to show the emphasis that the government has on this whole illegal immigration problem."

During the Nassau Village walkabout, Minister Peet stopped several Haitians, questioning them about their status.



Dilbara Othello, 60, responded, "Yes I am straight," while pulling a permanent resident identification card from his wallet to prove his status.

Mr. Othello told the minister that he has lived in The Bahamas since 1979 and had seen many Haitians living in the area, but he said that many of them have moved elsewhere.

Minister Peet asked Mr. Othello whether he would assist the immigration department in finding Haitians who are living in the country illegally.

Mr. Othello said he would be willing to assist.

Minister Peet said that the department thought it would be best to start the tours at Nassau Village, which is an area plagued by illegal immigrants.

"This illegal immigration problem is no overnight problem and therefore there cannot be an overnight solution, but we are doing all in our power to address the issue adequately," Minister Peet said.

"This is not going to be a problem that is going to be resolved by emotional outbursts or xenophobic pronouncements. We live in a lovely country and we have to protect our boarders the best we can."

He said such exercises as the one that took place on Monday will continue.

In the past two weeks, authorities said they have repatriated more than 300 illegal immigrants, mainly Haitians.

In addition, Minister Peet said 26 Cubans were repatriated on Monday and authorities plan to soon send an additional 40 home.

Minister Peet appealed to residents to join the fight in ridding the country of illegal immigrants.

"The Government of The Bahamas takes this whole illegal immigration situation very seriously and we have been showing this in more recent times," he said.

We should send this to members of congress and aks them to follow this example....

We should send this to members of congress and ask them to follow this example....

I wish it was that easy.
It sure is a good example. After all, try working in Mexico without authorization.............Foxie will be singing a different tune.

Stiff fines will change the tune of employers here.

The Bahamas has illegal immigrants? I guess that they could work in the tourism industry.

Let's see La Raza call a bunch of poor black people racists!

They have had a problem saving jobs for Bahamians. A lot of employers are immigrants from outside of the Caribbean. To them all Caribbeans are the same and Haitians are cheaper.