The governing party is charged with leading the country. The opposition is charged with holding it to account. This does not mean, however, standing in opposition to all things suggested or done by the government.
A good opposition is able to commend the government when it is on the right course. A good opposition is also able to add suggestions to policy debates rather than merely standing against initiatives led by the governing side.
Opposition Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis said on Tuesday that the Free National Movement (FNM) stands "shoulder to shoulder with Prime Minister Perry Christie and his government" in the face of backlash from the international community over its immigration policy.
"We are one when it comes to protection of our sovereignty," he said.
"The FNM believes that in the main the actions being taken by the administration are right and will redound to the benefit of The Bahamas in the long term."
The new policy, which took effect on November 1, requires all non-Bahamians to have passports of their nationalities and evidence that they have permission to live and work in the country.
It also states that the Department of Immigration will not accept first-time applications for residence or work permits from those who have no legal status in The Bahamas.
What caused the most reaction were images of children posted on social media sites during a raid on November 1. Fred Mitchell, minister of foreign affairs and immigration, said, however, they were picked up for their safety and well-being after being abandoned by caretakers when immigration officers visited their homes.
Human rights organization Amnesty International expressed "serious concern" over the policy and said it received reports of alleged human rights violations and arbitrary detentions, with the Haitian community being disproportionately targeted.
The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights recently expressed alarm over the "discriminatory use of the new immigration policies in The Bahamas".
During a press conference in Little Haiti last week, Florida State Representative Daphne Campbell urged tourists and businesses to boycott The Bahamas over the policy.
The Bahamas has for years not enforced its laws on immigration. Shantytowns exist across the country. Many of the people who live in these illegal communities have no legal status to be in The Bahamas.
The new immigration policy has been articulated in an effort to put in place some order. From what we have seen it has not been inhumane. Those who are suspected of being here illegally are asked if they have documents to prove their legal status. If they do not, they are detained and eventually deported. This is a common practice around the world.
Minnis showed maturity by publicly supporting the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) on this issue. Bahamians should be united in seeking an immigration system where people come to the country in the proper fashion, following our laws. There is nothing inhumane about wanting visitors to respect our laws.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian