Left to right: Louby Georges, Paco Nunez, Fred Smith, QC, and Joseph Darville.

WASHINGTON, DC - The following is a statement issued by the Grand Bahama Humane Rights Association:

Bahamian human rights activists today briefed the United States Senate on human rights violations that are being committed under the government’s new immigration enforcement policy.

Ahead of their appearance before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in Washington D.C. on Friday, the Grand Bahama Human Rights Association (GBHRA) was hosted by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations at a panel discussion on the state of human rights in The Bahamas.

GBHRA members told the Senate that since November 1, 2014, the government has carried out mass immigration raids and roadblocks in direct violation of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Bahamas Constitution.

They also told of hundreds of cases of wrongful detention, illegal deportation and a total breakdown of due process, as well as numerous claims of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of law enforcement officers.

They also explained how the new immigration rules for students, set to come into force in September 2015, will effectively deny children their right to an education, in violation of the Bahamas Constitution, the Education Act, and numerous international treaties signed by The Bahamas.

Fred Smith and Noelle Nicholls. Nicholls spoke on gender equality.

The GBHRA also reminded the Senate that over 6,212,971 US citizens visit the Bahamas, that Americans pour around $300 million into the country in direct foreign investment and that longstanding law enforcement ties exist, which have serious national security implications for both countries.

And, the Senate was informed of the rise of hate speech against activists, including increasingly hostile demonstrations held by aggressive, masked men donning Ku Klux Klan costumes. A dossier containing images of these protests was also submitted.

Presenting as well was Citizens for Constitutional Equality (CCE), a group that advocates for gender equality in The Bahamas.

During its visit to Washington D.C., the GBHRA expects to brief the US Congress and meet with representatives of the Organization of American States (OAS) as well as individual US lawmakers over the next several days.

Fred Smith, QC