Minister of Foreign Affairs the Hon. Fred Mitchell said the country will be getting a new US Chargé d’Affaires this month.
During his Contribution to the 2024/2025 Budget Debate on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, the Foreign Affairs Minister explained that he met with the new Chargé d’Affaires a few weeks ago in Washington DC and explained that there are no major issues The Bahamas has with the US.
However, Minister Mitchell said he raised that there is “an irritant” concerning the granting of visas for Bahamians to enter into the US. “There are too many examples in my view of people who complain that the rejection of visas to the US seems arbitrary and whimsical.”
He explained that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has no say or influence on visas granted by the US, and the only solution is to apply again because there is no form of appeal.
“But I have also said that in my experience, the US is an easy country to enter legally. Legal migration is fairly easy. It takes a long time sometimes, but you keep applying and eventually you get through.
“I say this in the context of there are too many examples of Bahamians who simply take the decision to stay beyond their time on a Visitor’s Visa. This causes enormous problems when you try to get a visa to go to the US, because as I understand their current law, if you overstay, that is a permanent bar for you getting another visa to go to the US again.
“So, people need to be warned. Miami’s only 30 minutes away; if time is running out, jump on the airplane and come home. Do not stay in these people’s country and stay over the time that you are supposed to be there. And then rush to a government minister all out of breath and expect us to resolve that problem.”
He did note however, that there are a number of cases which appear to us to be capricious.
The Minister said he tries to bring this to the attention of the US authorities to see if they can review these cases. However, in all of these cases, there must be a live application before the US authorities.
Warning to persons seeking asylum in other countries
Minister Mitchell also raised the concern of people who use the asylum laws of other countries to say they have a well-grounded fear of persecution in The Bahamas usually because of sexual orientation.
He said, “Then when they get to the next country having gotten it (asylum), they find that life is tougher than they expected.”
The Minister noted that In many cases, it is expected that “this sexual orientation thing is used as a ruse to get around asylum laws.”
“The point is that when you get to a country and you apply for asylum and you are granted asylum, remember that they take your passport. So you cannot come to The Bahamas government and say can you give me a new passport.”
The Minister explained that when the other government takes a passport, The Bahamas cannot give another passport, because the individual is now officially a resident of another country.
He said, “So I just say, be careful how you make these choices of wanting to emigrate to another country.”
Issuance of Passports
He said there is an amendment which is coming on passports. “It will provide the legal basis for people now to get their passports sent by courier.
“Unfortunately, it does not solve all of the problems because the passport, as it is now, to be valid requires a biometric. And if you have applied for the first time, there is not presently anywhere in the regulations that we can release the passport to you without the biometric.”
Minister Michell gave the example of Bahamians living in Vancouver having to go to Toronto to physically pick up their passports. “But I have officials looking at a software solution which would allow the biometric to be included in the passport so that we can resolve this problem.”
Expansion of foreign missions
The Minister said the Foreign Affairs Ministry has decided to set up an office in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. There is also going to be a Consul General in Jamaica; so a professional diplomat will now run the office in Jamaica. A professional diplomat will also run the office in Trinidad & Tobago.
He noted that the Prime Minister is also thinking of adding a presence in Southern or Eastern Africa.
Minister Mitchell said in regards to international contacts, The Bahamas has reached out to Saudi Arabia and to the State of Qatar.
He said The Bahamas has also been involved in International Relations within the Commonwealth, CARICOM, the United Nations and the Organization of American States; and with international financial institutions, including the Caribbean Development Bank.
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