The illegal immigration problem on Abaco is nearing a "boiling point", Central and South Abaco MP John Pinder warned yesterday, renewing concerns he previously raised about an issue he said is worsening.
Speaking outside Parliament on the same day that Immigration Minister Keith Bell made a communication on illegal immigration and how authorities are addressing the matter, Pinder told reporters that Abaco "needs the help to take control, and regain control of our island".
There are multiple shantytowns on Abaco, some springing up after the major unregulated communities of The Mud and Pigeon Peas were flattened during Hurricane Dorian in 2019, and untold numbers of people died.
"It's concerning to me because there isn't any sanitary infrastructure at hand," Pinder said.
"And there isn't the proper permitting and things are being done that Bahamians and my fellow Abaconians can't do.
"We have to abide by the law. There are certain procedures in place that make a safe place for everyone to live and right now those areas that we're describing aren't doing that and that's a problem."
Pinder added, "The whole issue is about to come to a boiling point. It's either we act now or we're gonna lose our father's place. Our ancestors settled there. They spent a lot of time to grow the communities we have. We want to ensure they're there for future generations to come."
Despite his worries, the MP told reporters he is "hopeful".
"I am optimistic that this Davis-Cooper administration will do what's needed to fix this problem," Pinder said.
The illegal immigration issue and the existence of shantytowns remain of critical concern for many Bahamians, some of whom believe the authorities are turning a blind eye to the problem.
Pinder believes Bahamian identity on Abaco is in jeopardy.
Such worries have been raised by many different personalities over many years.
Abaco has been an island of particular concern.
In 2005, a report from the Ministry of Health showed that 76 or 63 percent of all babies born at the Marsh Harbour Clinic in 2003 were to Haitian mothers, while 45 or 38 percent were to Bahamian mothers.
According to that report, this was the first district in which the number of infants born to Haitians was greater than the number of infants born to Bahamians.
It was also revealed that of the 31 women who delivered at the Coopers Town Clinic in 2003, 51.6 percent were Bahamians and 48.4 percent were Haitians.
There are no available statistics that are more recent.
But various individuals like Pinder continue to sound the alarm on what they deem to be a crisis.
Many have called for strong action against those who squat on land and develop shantytowns, but the shantytown issue is still subject to an outstanding court determination.
In 2021, a Supreme Court judge ordered the government to "cease and desist" further demolitions in shantytowns on Abaco and ruled that the government must get approval from the court if it wishes to demolish structures in shantytowns on the island.
Some shantytown residents challenged the government's 2018 policy, which sought to get rid of those communities.
In 2018, Supreme Court Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson granted an injunction banning demolition on New Providence and parts of Abaco.
The Minnis administration had asked the court to vary the injunction to exclude applicants on Abaco.
The applicants, meanwhile, had asked the court for the injunction to be extended to cover all shantytowns in The Bahamas or, in the alternative, all shantytowns on Abaco.
The injunction now fully covers Abaco.
At the time, Grant-Thompson stated, "This simply means that prior to any further demolition taking place on the island of Abaco, evidence that the homes selected for demolition are in fact in breach of the law should first be presented to and approved by the court."
Last September, Pinder said shantytown structures have grown significantly in the three-plus years since Hurricane Dorian.
"I had been dealing with it at a local government level before becoming a member of Parliament, and as a private citizen even before that, and it is something that is just growing out of control," said Pinder, who added that illegal migration is a threat to national security.
At the time, Minister of Works Alfred Sears said the government will commission a survey and will review the matter and receive advice from its lawyers on how it can proceed in dealing with shantytowns.
"We are going to have to come up with a comprehensive set of measures to address this issue because it's not a one-island issue," he said.
Sears has not provided a recent update on the matter, but Bell told Parliament yesterday, "The honorable minister with responsibility for works and utilities is assiduously working on his ministry's plan to address this longstanding issue."
With social media reports claiming the ongoing growth of shantytowns throughout the country, tensions surrounding this issue appear to be rising.
While speaking in the House yesterday, Bell insisted that the government is taking the illegal migration issue seriously, and rejected as an untruth a claim by community and social media activist Lincoln Bain that there is a shantytown on Paradise Island, home to many affluent individuals and a popular tourist destination.
"I believe that I speak with one voice for all in this place that we remain committed to the protection of our sovereignty and our immigration laws," he said.
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