New Providence – On today’s date, eleven (11) Haitian nationals and one (1) Dominican national appeared before Senior Magistrate Algernon Allen in Magistrate’s Court No. 1, where they were convicted of immigration-related offences, including overstaying, Illegal Landing, Possession of a Fraudulent Document, Unlawful Use of a Forged Document, and Knowingly Attempting to Mislead an Immigration Officer.
The group received fines and sentences ranging from $250.00 to $3,000.00, and from one (1) month to eighteen (18) months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDOCS).
All individuals were ordered to be handed over to the Department of Immigration upon payment of fines or completion of sentences for deportation.
Earlier today, the Deportation and Removal Units successfully executed a deportation order whereby eighteen (18) Haitian nationals, one (1) Jamaican national, and one (1) Colombian national were deported from New Providence to their respective home countries. All security and health protocols were observed, as the safety and welfare of our officers, and migrants remain the highest priority.
Additionally, at Lynden Pindling International Airport, one (1) Jamaican national was refused entry and was subsequently returned to Kingston, Jamaica.
On Tuesday, October 14, fourteen (14) Haitian nationals, three (3) Ecuadorian nationals, and one (1) Dominican national were also convicted in the Magistrate’s Court on similar immigration offences. They were fined and sentenced between $300.00 and $2,500.00, and from one (1) month to one (1) year at BDOCS.
The Department remains committed to upholding the laws of The Bahamas and encourages the public to report immigration violations by contacting the hotline at 242-604-0249 or 242-604-0171/2.
