Opposition Leader Michael Pintard said Prime Minister Philip Davis' national address on illegal immigration and shantytowns last night was "deeply disappointing and failed to rise to the moment that our country faces".
In that speech, Davis promised strong action on illegal immigration and told shantytown residents they need to leave those communities.
But Pintard insisted the prime minister failed to address the gravity of the illegal immigration situation with practical steps.
"Beyond the usual government interventions his administration intends to take short, medium, and long term, he spoke tonight, no doubt, seeking to head off the opposition's call for the establishment of a select committee on illegal immigration and migration, and the protests and cries from various quarters for urgent government action on the immigration matter," Pintard said in a statement.
"The crisis The Bahamas faces relative to illegal migration has stretched the limited resources of The Bahamas severely. The prime minister seemed bashful to acknowledge the gravity of this.
"This decades-old problem has been made substantially worse due to the contraction of our economy due to the devastation of Hurricane Dorian and the debilitating impact of COVID-19 and now the collapse of the Haitian government.
"His remarks failed to explain why his administration failed to stop new construction of unregulated homes on public and private land. This action was not hindered by the court injunction recently lifted.
"His claim of only one boat making it to shore was surely a result of bad information.
"However, even if it were true, PM Davis must be aware that many migrants are flying into The Bahamas with visas and melting into the population because we have not done a stellar job in monitoring, tracking and interdicting such persons.
"This is precisely why he should have talked about strengthening such surveillance units, auditing all forms of visa issuance and work permits.
"As usual, the PM loves to talk about government initiatives without referencing how he intends to pay for them."
Last night, the prime minister announced "Operation Secure", which he said is a collaborative security operation involving the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, and the Department of Immigration to address security and migration-related issues in unregulated and unlawful communities.
"The operation is focused on identifying irregular migrants, documented migrants, and Bahamians living in these communities, and addressing their status in a comprehensive and coordinated manner," Davis said.
"We cannot have shantytowns on our islands: they are unsafe, a hazard to public health, they are against the law, and they directly impact our way of life.
"Our priority is decisive action, based on the laws of our land."
He vowed, "Undocumented migrants will continue to be processed and repatriated. This is already underway and will be greatly expanded in the coming days and weeks.
"Documented migrants living in unregulated communities will be required to relocate at their expense or their employer's expense, or face repatriation.
"And any Bahamian citizens found to be living in these communities will be required to relocate.
"In addition, we must also hold accountable the entire network of people who make possible these shantytowns."
But Pintard insisted more should have been said about The Bahamas' international engagement with international stakeholders.
Pintard questioned, "Are we committing to peace keeping forces and if so under what conditions?"
But Davis has already said at the closing press conference on Friday of the CARICOM heads of government meeting in Nassau that The Bahamas and other CARICOM states are not committing boots on the ground in troubled Haiti, but will assist in strengthening the Haitian National Police in a country where gangs have become even more powerful and violent.
Pintard said, "There is a need to raise resources to address the gaps in our system and to build capacity to address the additional burden that illegal/irregular migrants put on our system. We will not go it alone. We are on the front line.
"Assistance with repatriation inclusive of resettlement assistance is crucial. The Bahamas may partner with specific agencies that help particular demographics in our country."
Pintard said the opposition expected to hear more about the prime minister's "plan of action" for Halt and to reverse the establishment of unregulated communities throughout The Bahamas.
He said, "We clearly need a dramatic housing increase to make provision for housing ownership, rental and/or leasing. Furthermore, we need urgent land reform, which is an urgent priority where Bahamians who have long waited for Crown land and/or leased land for entrepreneurial and residential purposes."
Pintard said the prime minister must also address the backlog of applications for work permits, visas, permanent residence, and citizenship in a careful, responsible, and transparent way.
"He must also have the courage to design policies and initiatives that address the employment gaps in The Bahamas in the blue- and white-collar fields," he added.
"He should have signaled his intention to engage the population in a candid discussion and a thorough examination and debate about the pathways to Bahamian citizenship."
Pintard added, "The prime minister's address should have also made it clear that his plan addressed other migrants coming from other jurisdictions.
"Sadly, the brazen attempt to seduce the Haitian community before the election caused PM Davis to identify himself as someone other than a proud Cat Islander, and now he must explain the laid-back approach, while failing to act with a sense of urgency while being humane."
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