The government intends to demolish shantytowns not covered by a Supreme Court injunction, Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe said yesterday.

Munroe made the comment days after announcing that the government has given people who are unlawfully operating and living on a tract of cleared land in the Carmichael Road area, 14 days to get off before authorities move in and take action to address illegal deforestation and squatting.

He was asked yesterday to respond to criticism about the government’s handling of squatters on deforested Crown land versus people living in shantytowns.

Munroe replied, “Crown land belongs to the government. Private land belongs to private homeowners. If you permit people to squat on your property, after 12 years, they will own it. That’s what the laws of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas says. Shantytowns, as I’m made to understand, are on leased land by private homeowners.

“The issue that the government has with shantytowns is illegal buildings contrary to the relevant laws. The Ministry of Works had gone to demolish properties. There was an injunction in place.

“My understanding is that the Ministry of Works will continue seeking to demolish all illegally built properties that are not the subject of the injunction, but we do not own privately owned land.”

Munroe reiterated that the government does not allow people to squat on public land.

He said it amazes him that people think it sounds sensible to squat on property that does not belong to them.

“Could you imagine if 400,000 people said they were going to occupy one acre of land in New Providence?” Munroe asked.

“It is just nonsense and we will not permit it to continue.”

The issue of shantytowns is a longstanding one in The Bahamas.

Four years ago, the Minnis administration announced that all shantytowns in The Bahamas will be demolished and subsequently gave residents of most shantytowns on New Providence until August 10, 2018 to leave before demolition.

Residents in shantytowns on Abaco were to be given until the end of July 2019 to leave.

However, in August 2018, Supreme Court Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson granted an injunction preventing the demolition of shantytowns.

On Abaco, shantytowns were among the hardest hit communities during Hurricane Dorian in September 2019.

The government cleared the ruins of most of the communities following the storm, but some people were still living in The Farm shantytown at the time and, as a result, those structures were protected by the injunction.

Last April, ahead of a judicial review on the matter, the government demolished all illegal structures in The Farm that were built since Dorian.

Last June, Grant-Thompson ruled that the government would have to seek court approval before undertaking demolition exercises on Abaco.

She adjourned the judicial review on June 15, 2021, so she can make her final ruling on the case.

It remains outstanding.

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