Bahamas Minister of National Security and Immigration seeks support to combat traffickers

NASSAU, Bahamas – Bahamas Minister of National Security and Immigration the Hon. Tommy Turnquest is urging Inagua residents to work closely with security forces on that island in stemming the flow of illegal migrants.

In his first official visit to Inagua since becoming the Minister with responsibility for defence and immigration, Minister Turnquest told community leaders on Friday, September 7, 2007, that the repatriation of illegal migrants in one week alone on four flights from New Providence to Haiti cost the Bahamian people $100,000.

Hon. Tommy Turnquest

“We can save hundreds of thousands of dollars by stemming the flow of alien smuggling closer to the source,” he said.

Minister Turnquest led a nine-member delegation on a fact-finding tour of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force facilities at Inagua. While there, he also inspected Police and Immigration offices, and met with Local Government leaders.

The delegation included Minister of State for Immigration Sen. the Hon. Elma Campbell, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Labour Sen. the Hon. Dion Foulkes; Mrs. A. Missouri Sherman-Peter, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security and Immigration; Commodore Clifford Scavella, Commander of the Defence Force; and Police Superintendent John Ferguson, Officer-in-Charge of Family Islands.

Mr. Turnquest said Inagua is poised to play an integral part in the mission of the Defence Force.

“I am able to announce today,” he said, “that as early as next month, at the latest, we are going to provide two 27-ft. sea craft so that the RBDF officers and marines here would be able to do sea patrol and begin to protect our southern borders.
“We are very pleased to announce that we are ordering a heavy duty truck which would be able to pull the boats up on trailers and transport them to the base.”

He said while the boats are expected during October, possession of the specially-ordered truck would come sometime later.

Minister Turnquest was pleased with the current Defence Force air-wing, and announced that the Defence Force has identified two aircraft – a Caralan and a P-68 Observer.

“We will begin to go through the approval process and expect to receive full government review in the very near future,” said the Minister.

“We will take possession over the next six-eight months of six 40-ft. sea craft and you will begin to see that we are serious about patrolling our waters against illegal migrants, illegal poaching of our marine resources and also illegal drug trafficking through our waters and other contraband,” he said.

The Minister told community leaders that it was important for his team to travel to Inagua “so you can understand what we are trying to do here in Inagua, primarily with respect to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.”

“We know that the RBDF has on the island a total of 18 officers and marines. We also know that in addition to the physical base there are just two vehicles. The officers and marines are on a three-month rotation. We hope we can establish a base that will then be on a longer term rotational basis.”

Minister Turnquest noted that the Government is “very serious in terms of what we are doing but we need to establish here in Inagua a base from which to operate.”

He said Inagua “is important because strategically it will host a very important base that will be central to our national security, particularly with respect to illegal migration.”
The Minister reminded community leaders that Inagua is the first point closest to Haiti where a large number of illegal migrants traffic, particularly by sea.

“We believe that by patrolling our waters, we can prevent, and where we are unable to prevent by our presence, intercept and cause to turn around or intercept, apprehend and bring into Inagua persons trafficking illegal migrants or illegal drugs and other contraband and poachers in our waters,” he said.

Minister Turnquest called for good community relations with the Defence Force.

“We ought to work together with the Defence Force, the Police Force and other security agencies,” he said. “We can save hundreds of thousands of dollars by stemming the flow of alien smuggling closer to the source.

“I am satisfied the craft we are providing will have the capability to get the job done. Likewise, the men and women working in the security forces will also have the capability and enthusiasm to get the job done.

“All I am asking for is the support of the community in working closely with our security forces at Inagua.”