THE ANTI IMMGRANT FEVER REACHES THE BAHAMAS

The late professor of the University of the West Indies Rex Nettleford used to call them “ladies of quality”.  These are black and mulatto upper and middle class women in CARICOM societies that feel they are the cat’s whiskers and could pronounce with harsh judgments their social policies upon the world.  They have strong opinions.  These ladies of quality these days together with some rogues are engaged in a vile and nasty campaign against Haitians in The Bahamas that is led by prejudice.  Every day there is some screed on line about how Haitians are taking over The Bahamas. They are not.  Every day there is some cry that Haitians should be thrown out of The Bahamas. They glory in what is being done in the United States next door to us where short shrift is being made of legal processes and people willy-nilly are being picked up and abused and sent back to their home countries, countries to whom they no longer have any connection.  The language is most vile in Harbour Island. The claim is that young Bahamians cannot get work in that island because of Haitians. The facts show that the population of The Bahamas declined by rate of natural increase over the last ten years. Bahamians are not having enough babies. We are therefore not able to sustain a workforce. The facts also show that the work ethic of those who are available in the Bahamian pool leave a lot to be desired. They just don’t show up to work. Ask any contractor if they can find Bahamian labour and the answer is no. Yet the call for getting rid of Haitians persists. The Bahamas will not be the only country in the world where immigrants outnumber natives.  We need the Haitian labour. It’s as simple as that or the economy of the country, the very wealth that supports the ladies of quality will evaporate otherwise.