Immigration
    The Bahamas has very clear policies on immigration.  Persons are permitted entry into the country for various reasons.  These reasons may include vacation/holiday visits, visits for conferences, training, religious and medical reasons, as well as entry for the purpose of being gainfully employed.  There may be others, but the reasons stated above should cover most of the usual categories.  Additionally, it is understood that the possibility exists for someone to enter the country with one type of visa and subsequently have this converted to another.  There is, however, due process that must be followed if this is to happen.

    If we were to look at the above and then compare this to some of the scenarios that we are currently hearing about and debating amongst ourselves, the question would automatically be “why are we making this so complicated and so political?”
    Now, for the benefit of anyone who may be inclined to challenge this and perhaps be moved to respond in rebuttal, I would like to add that I am very much aware that due to social and political issues, this is clearly not a very simple matter.  I am further aware that there are a host of other considerations to be taken into account (i.e. the humanitarian issue of how we deal with persons who do not know the country from whence they may have come as babies; how to deal with families with children born in The Bahamas; what to do with elderly persons who are no longer able to care for themselves, etc., etc.), but, as a Bahamian, I believe that it is vitally important that we view this seriously and decide what we believe should happen, insofar as the law permits.

•  Should the person from Haiti, who may have been smuggled into the Country, be treated any differently from the Jamaican who came in as a visitor and decided to overstay?
•  Should the Cuban national, on his/her way to Miami, who became stranded in Bahamian waters after his boat collapsed be treated any differently from the person from the Far East who paid thousands of  dollars to be smuggled in and who ends up working in a family business?
•  Should the Englishman, who came in on a tourist visa, but decides to begin working with a financial institution, in anticipation of receiving a positive response to a work permit application, be dealt with in a different manner than the person from the Philippines who came in to visit a friend and ended up working as a maid?

Employment
    It is my understanding that persons seeking gainful employment in the Bahamas must meet one of the following criteria:

• Be a Bahamian citizen or legal Permanent Resident with permission to work and possess a valid national insurance number, along with supporting documents that clearly demonstrates that the person is entitled to work in The Bahamas.
• Be in possession of a valid work permit, which has been issued by the relevant authority and possess a valid national insurance number.

In Summation
    On the Immigration topic, I believe that we must review the laws to determine whether they are sufficiently modern, to deal with the requirements of today’s Bahamas.  We must also accept that immigrants are, and have been for a long time, of vital importance to the country, so we must find a way to implement quotas, either annually or periodically and improve the systems that monitor and control the issuance of visas and what happens when a person overstays his or her allotted time.  I do not necessarily support the system of pulling over jitneys and asking everyone on board with an accent to prove that they are in The Bahamas legitimately.  This is not only inhumane, but it could also result in dangerous situations for other legitimate residents riding on the bus and could prove equally as dangerous for the Immigration Officers involved.  Unfortunately I do not have a better solution, so I will ask that we consider the other, numerous options that must be available to us.
    On the subject of Employment, I am of the view that the time has come for us to hold the employers of illegal workers responsible for their actions.  This has to be the equivalent of harboring a criminal (if illegal immigration is unlawful then it stands to reason that this act may be construed as the legal equivalent of harboring a criminal).  I will, however, leave it to the members of the honored legal society to sort this one out.  There should be strict penalties imposed to discourage the employment of illegal workers and, correspondingly there should be a reasonable and fairly simple process for persons to apply for and receive permission for legitimately required workers without negatively impacting upon the employment opportunities available for Bahamian citizens and legal resident.
    Whilst I am most certain that this letter will generate varied reactions, please permit me to add the comment that its content is not meant to offend anyone, but again, to stimulate some reasonable thought processes from the persons we have entrusted with the responsibility of running our country.
    In conclusion, I will leave you with the following questions:

• Are persons who have overstayed their allotted time being actively sought after by the immigration authorities?
• Is it fair to law-abiding citizens and residents to allow communities of illegal immigrants to be built up and continue to exist?
• Is it fair for structures (sic) in these communities to be constructed without regard for the established standards, codes and policies?
• Should the illegal use of electricity and water be ignored in the interest of being humane?
• Should citizens and legal residents be penalized or prosecuted for harboring and/or employing illegal immigrants?
• Should there be public notices listing the names and last known addresses of persons who have entered the country legally and then overstayed their time?
• Should there be a “hot-line” or immigration web-site where prospective employers can call or log in to get answers to certain questions or clarification on certain points relating to the employment of a foreign born person?