Bahamas Information Services
By: Lindsay Thompson

11/24/2005



LONDON, England - Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie is to address The Bahamas immigration problem at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in the Republic of Malta. In his first official international trip since suffering a mild stroke on May 3, the Prime Minister said that The Bahamas has to tell the world that it cannot alone shoulder the burden of illegal Haitian problem.

Mr. Christie made the statement following a meeting between British Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Tony Blair and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders on Tuesday, November 23, at No.10 Downing Street. Prime Minister Christie will head The Bahamas delegation at CHOGM 2005, to be held November 25 to 27 in Valetta, Malta, under the theme: “Networking the Commonwealth for Development”. He is accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs the Hon. Fred Mitchell, Minister of Tourism the Hon. Obie Wilchcombe and other government officials.

Malta is part of an island chain in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily. Other islands are Gozo and Comino, as well as four islets. It has a diverse population of Arab, Sicilian, Norman, Spanish, Italian, and British. Prime Minister Christie drew the similarity between The Bahamas and Malta, both countries being impacted by immigration problems. “The Bahamas has come a long way with the region towards what we thought to be the most practical solution during the time of President Aristide for Haiti,” he said.

Haiti has again descended into violence. General Elections are set for December and Caribbean countries are generally agreeing to render assistance in that process. “But, for The Bahamas, we have to somehow continue to proclaim to the entire world this unfair burden that is visited upon us through our proximity to Haiti and the fact that we are the gateway and proceed to be that to the United States of America, where they all wish to go,” Prime Minister Christie said.

The Bahamas, because of its advanced economy, and its sophistication, has become a source of attraction to illegal Haitian immigrants. “And so we have this added burden of the instability of Haiti, which if not addressed by the world, will leave us again to carry the burden. That is wrong, it’s unfair and we have to be much stronger in communicating our concern and the need for assistance,” said the Prime Minister. “That is why, at the very highest level on a sustained basis, we would be making an effort to bring that about.”

He pointed out that with the hurricane season ending in November, more efforts would be made by Haitians to get to The Bahamas. “That is one of the points that I have to make, to impress upon people again, that Haiti is more than just a pastime. It has to be dealt with,” the Prime Minister said. “With more than 200 years of independence, they are still struggling to come to terms with its existence and how it should operate. But in the meantime, we carry the brunt of it,” he said.