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Last Updated: Dec 14, 2020 - 6:16:37 PM |
 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Financial Services, Trade and Immigration have taken note of an article that appeared in the Tribune on 7 December 2020 related to Asylum Seekers.
The article, attributed to Human Rights Bahamas, has accused the Department of Immigration of “illegally detaining” seven asylum seekers.
The Government of The Bahamas wishes to confirm that it respects and abides by its commitments to human rights under international law. The Bahamas is party to the 1951 United Nations High Commission on Refugees Convention (UNHCR) and its 1967 Protocol, as well as a number of human rights treaties and conventions. The Bahamas Government, in accordance with these commitments, complies with international standards in ensuring that the rights of detainees are fully respected until such time as they are repatriated to their countries of origin.
With respect to those who seek asylum status in The Bahamas, there is a well-defined process in place that is carried out by the Government and the UNHCR to screen such persons in order to determine if they qualify for refugee status. Under the Convention, a refugee is a person who has a well-founded fear of persecution and, because of such fear, is unable to return to his/her country. Once the Government and the UNHCR have completed the screening process and agree the criteria have been met, the Government will then move to grant asylum status (or assist the asylum seeker to find a more appropriate third-state in which to obtain that status).
It is important to note that the repatriation of detainees to their countries has been compounded by the pandemic, in particular border closures and the lack of international flights. Similarly, the processing of asylum seekers by both the Government and the UNHCR has been impacted by pandemic related challenges. The Government and the UNHCR have remained in close contact during this period in order to complete the process of screening, and the UNHCR representative visited the Detention Centre on several occasions and made no reports of violations to the Government.
The Government is satisfied that at no time have the rights of any detainees been violated. It is further satisfied that there has been full compliance with established protocols, as well as with both international law and domestic law.
Now that the situation is changing with the pandemic and there are more flights and openings of borders, the Government, with the collaboration of the UNHCR, is moving expeditiously to ensure that all processes are completed as quickly as possible.
© Copyright 2020 by thebahamasweekly.com
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