A month after a Supreme Court judge lifted an injunction that prevented the demolition of shantytowns in The Bahamas, the government yesterday issued over 200 eviction notices to residents in unregulated communities on Abaco.

In a statement, the Unregulated Communities Action Taskforce said officials from four government agencies posted 260 eviction notices in unregulated communities off S.C. Bootle Highway.

"The joint operations task force can report that the atmosphere for this operation was peaceful and calm and without incident," the statement said.

The agencies involved included the Ministry of Works, the Department of Immigration, the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.

Minister of Works Alfred Sears advised Parliament last month that the Cabinet reconvened the "shantytown task force".

Last month, Prime Minister Philip Davis put residents living in shantytowns across The Bahamas on notice that they will be required to find alternative housing and said his administration intends to hold accountable the "network of people" who make these shantytowns possible, though he gave no timeline on when the action will happen.

"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," Davis said in a national address.

"Our priority is decisive action, based on the laws of our land.

"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."

The Minnis administration established the Shantytowns Action Task Force (SATF) in 2018 to execute its shantytown eradication policy.

The task force was headed by then-Minister of Labour Dion Foulkes, but its work was stopped when a group of 177 shantytown residents and the non-profit organization Respect Our Homes Limited took legal action and secured the injunction.

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