In a formal communication to the House of Assembly today, Wednesday, 29th March, 2017; Minister of Foreign Affairs & Immigration Fred Mitchell MP addressed the issue of allegations that certain workers' passports had been withheld in The Bahamas.

The Minister communicated to the House that he had on Monday 27th March, met with representatives of the National Congress of Trade Unions (NCTU) in their capacity as one of the tripartite representatives of the International Labour Organization (ILO). "They indicated that the ILO had asked them to investigate the claims that the passports and work permits of certain workers were being held in violation of the law and their rights in The Bahamas. They identified the property.

"The Department of Immigration has investigated these allegations. Having met with the officers of the company, the Department reminded the company of its obligations in law. The Department was assured by the company that the practice does not now obtain and where it once did was ceased forthwith."

The Minister further noted in his Communication to the House that "...The Department of Immigration will be doing spot checks throughout the coming days without notice to employers to ensure that all companies meet their obligations and conform with the accepted practice with regard to this. The Department of Labour has also been asked to follow up on job sites as well. The Attorney General has been briefed on the matter.

" All employers in this country are reminded that each employee who is a foreign national cannot consent to surrender their passport to an employer nor can he consent to surrender that employee’s work permit. The documents should be in the employee’s possession at all times."

Bahamas Information Services