After the Davis administration announced plans to clamp down on irregular migration in the country, particularly Haitians fleeing violence in their home country, many Bahamians expressed mixed views on the crisis.

Shannon Adderley, 27, a security guard, as he manned the door of a local gaming house, said, "Basically, they just coming and taking all the jobs. That's all.

"When us fellow Bahamians getting paid $100 or $150 a day, these Haitians coming and taking the job and getting paid one little $80 a day. I don't agree with that either."

Adderley's comments are contrasted by the views of individuals like Jared Horton.

Horton, 36, a diver by profession, who describes himself as an entrepreneur, said Haitians are doing the logical thing by fleeing their country.

"I don't think they are creating a crisis for us, they are trying to find a better way," Horton said as he was heading into a grocery store.

"As a human being, we all look for a better way out. If this job ain't treating you right, or if FNM or PLP aren't treating you right, what will you do? Vote for the next party right? So, their country isn't treating them right, their country isn't doing right, so they need to get out of there to find a better way. They aren't any better than you and me; all of us are humans."

These contrasting view points form the basis of an immigration debate that rages on from administration to administration. Haiti is experiencing a political, economic, and social crisis after its president was assassinated in 2021.

"I feel as though they are looking for somewhere safe to be for now, but I don't think they all have to come here," said Keria Arnett, a fast food worker.

"They could find other places to go because The Bahamas is still working on itself as well," she said.

For decades, Haitians have migrated to The Bahamas in large numbers, many risking their lives on dangerous sea voyages in unsafe boats.

In the face of criticism, the government has pledged to tackle irregular migration, the proliferation of shantytowns and the abuse by some of work permits.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Philip Davis revealed that the government launched Operation Secure to deal with those issues.

"I don't have any issues with migrants from any country, I understand we all have our hardships, but at the end of the day, we are a small country, we can only sustain so much," a medical professional told The Nassau Guardian before going back into her office.

"I welcome migrants who come in the right way. I have a problem with illegal migration, period. I think it takes away from us as a people, the country as a whole, and we can't progress because all of our resources are being used to accommodate other people."

Cecil Rhodenwalt, a delivery driver for a bakery, said, "We can't go abroad and do the same thing.

"Get strict with it and don't clown around," was his message for the government.

Shelby McPhee, an adjunct professor of political science at University of the Bahamas, said, "The subject of immigration is two-fold: It is a matter of seeing immigration as a necessary good for The Bahamas' long-term success while simultaneously doing everything within our means to help vulnerable people who flee violence or war.

"This means creating infrastructure to expediently process undocumented people that are currently in The Bahamas to fold them into the economic workforce, allowing them to have the resources necessary to live as contributing citizens and residents. Alongside this, we must recognize the global refugee crisis that exists and concomitantly make at least some commitments to international refugee conventions. A failure to do this with a claim to insufficiency and scarcity is economically bad and, quite frankly, morally wrong.

"The truth is, we desperately need a robust immigration framework that sees the benefit of immigration, from the best and the brightest around the world, who can contribute to the development of communities across our islands."

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