The Minister and the Chargé discussed the momentous high-level meeting between the Prime Minister of The Bahamas and the President of Haiti in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Sunday, 25 February 2018, on the margins of the 29th Inter-sessional Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government. This meeting had put forward important ideas on how the two countries should move together to tackle longstanding issues affecting their wide-ranging relations, including irregular migration and the development of the necessary elements for an infrastructure in Haiti that would assist with the development of that country’s northwest region to put an end to irregular migration to The Bahamas, with the support of The Bahamas.

In that light, the Minister recalled the devastating impact of Hurricane Dorian on the Abacos, in particular the damages and loss of life in unregulated communities comprising mostly persons of Haitian extraction. He noted the important role of Haitian labour in building certain aspects of the Bahamian economy, but the Minister affirmed that there would be no return to two countries in Abaco.

Shown from left to right in the second photograph are Mr Eugene Torchon-Newry, Under Secretary (Ag), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bahamas; Mrs Sharon Brennen-Haylock, Director-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bahamas; HE Reuben Rahming, Bahamas High Commissioner to CARICOM; Mr Anthony Brutus, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., Embassy of Haiti; the Hon. Darren Henfield, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bahamas; and Mr Karl-Henry Chatelier, Head of Consular Affairs, Embassy of Haiti.

The Minister explained that required hand in hand with this activity was the immediate and unwavering assistance of the Haitian President and Government, as well as the Haitian people in Haiti and in The Bahamas to stop irregular migration and stop establishing unlawful settlements in The Bahamas. With the assistance of The Bahamas Government, the existing three bilateral agreements signed in July 2014 (on Bilateral Relations, Trade in Agriculture and Fisheries, and Investment Promotion and Protection) could be improved and put into real effect.

Additional important measures could also be devised to have a Comprehensive Maritime Agreement that would strengthen mechanisms to strengthen Haitian law enforcement capacities at the Haitian border and interdict the problematic flow of Haitian migrants to The Bahamas.

Mr Brutus welcomed the support and attention of the Bahamian government, and appreciated the fact that it was no easy task to have so many irregular persons in the country. He also welcomed the reference to the existing agreements that harmonised various components of the relations between Haiti and The Bahamas and offered opportunities to build up both countries. He added that, jointly, tourism, commercial trade, fisheries, infrastructural developments, and visa facilitation could lead to beneficial outcomes for both countries. He added that, in diversifying the elements of our bilateral relations, the area of education could be studied.