Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis during the introduction of a new migration policy and security bill. While exposing the challenges of illegal emigration, especially from Haiti said "We have a comprehensive plan to slow the flow of migrants to our islands and actively pursue the identification and repatriation of those who entered illegally. in our country."

He announced the launch of "Operation Security", an aggressive campaign between the Royal Bahamas Police, the Defense Forces and Immigration targeting all irregular migrants (mostly Haitians) , their employers and the illegal structures where they live in the Bahamas archipelago.

An operation that is reminiscent of the "hunt for illegal migrants of 2014".

Davis said the burden of Haitian migration is why in June 2022, at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, he refused to sign a pledge that included an obligation to care for refugees, despite the fact that 21 other countries in the hemisphere, including Caribbean countries such as Barbados and Jamaica, have signed the agreement.

“Our small nation (archipelago of 180,000 km2) cannot bear a heavier burden. We stand firm in this position," said Davis adding, "Despite pressure earlier this year, when the United Nations called on countries in our region to stop deportations to Haiti, once again, I have decided to continue the repatriations."

It is estimated that more than 80,000 Haitians (most of them illegal) live in the Bahamas, a country of only 350,000 inhabitants.

“Illegal immigrants living in unregulated (slum) communities will be required to relocate at their own expense or face repatriation," Davis said, adding "slums are a challenge and a problem in this country and move quickly to tear them down. could create a big homelessness problem in the Bahamas […] It makes no sense to respond to one crisis to create another."

"Despite the difficulty of the task, this will not prevent us from taking action to intercept undocumented vessels in our waters."

Last year, the Bahamas repatriated a record number of 4,748 people "This year, 1,024 people have already been repatriated", specified Keith Bell, the Director of Immigration stressing "If the current trend of irregular migration continues, we will experience another record year in 2023 […] efforts to secure our borders and expel those who enter the country illegally will not cease in 2023 recalling "We have already repatriated illegals to Cuba, Haiti, Guyana, Dominica, in the Americas, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Brazil [...] but Haitians represent the largest number of emigrants and the main cause of concern of the Bahamian Government"

S/ HaitiLibre