FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hon. Michael Pintard, M.P.: US Designation of its Nassau Embassy to Process Haitian Visa Applicants
Bahamians are troubled by the recent announcement by the United States of its designation of their Embassy in Nassau as a processing site for Haitian nationals seeking to acquire U.S. visas.
What we’ve heard thus far is woefully inadequate.
The Prime Minister has said Haitian nationals will not be allowed to enter The Bahamas ‘for the purpose of applying for a U.S. visa.’ That line does nothing to reassure Bahamians that the administration has an actual plan. It fails to explain how the government will manage the operational impact of being designated a processing post.
This comes against the backdrop of rising local anxiety and an immigration crisis the Davis administration refuses to admit exists. They promised a full review in 2023 but delivered nothing. Instead of reform, we’ve seen lawbreakers released back to work, politically driven shake-ups in Immigration, and a surge of undocumented migrants that the government pretends isn’t happening. Bahamians know the truth: immigration is out of control, and this government has neither the competence nor the will to fix it.
For these reasons, I call on the Prime Minister to present a clear operational plan forthwith.
That plan must spell out the caseload projections, the staffing and screening measures, the budget lines that will cover the costs, and the rules governing how Haitian nationals already legally resident in The Bahamas, whether through work permits, permanent residency, or marriage, will be treated.
This is not about stoking fear or division. It is about whether we have leadership that is strong, prepared, and committed to transparency. Until the Prime Minister proves that standard, his words cannot be trusted.