The Bahamas says it has rejected a proposal from the transition workforce of United States President-elect Donald Trump to absorb migrants from different nations who could also be deported by the incoming administration.
In a statement on Thursday, the workplace of Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis mentioned the scheme to have the Bahamas settle for deportation flights “was reviewed and firmly rejected”.
“The Bahamas merely doesn’t have the sources to accommodate such a request,” Davis’s workplace mentioned.
“For the reason that Prime Minister’s rejection of this proposal, there was no additional engagement or discussions with the Trump transition workforce or some other entity relating to this matter. The Authorities of The Bahamas stays dedicated in its place.”
Trump, who gained final month’s US presidential election and can take workplace on January 20, has promised to carry out the “largest deportation operation” within the nation’s historical past.
The Workplace of the Prime Minister needs to deal with current studies relating to a proposal from the Trump transition workforce in america for The Bahamas to just accept deportation flights of migrants from different nations. This matter was offered to the Authorities of The Bahamas…
— Latrae L. Rahming (DOC)🇧🇸 (@latraelrahming) December 5, 2024
The proposed effort has spurred condemnation from rights advocates and raised questions in regards to the feasibility of eradicating thousands and thousands of undocumented immigrants from the nation.
The Division of Homeland Safety estimates 11 million “unauthorised” individuals lived within the US as of 2022. The Bahamas census for a similar 12 months exhibits the nation has less than 400,000 people whole.
Trump’s deportation plans will even probably take a look at the boundaries of his energy as president, as any “mass deportation” would contain authorized challenges and cooperation with overseas governments.
Citing three unnamed sources, NBC Information reported earlier on Thursday that Trump’s workforce was getting ready an inventory of nations that it might ship migrants to ought to their house nations not conform to take them again.
The listing included the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, Panama and Grenada, the sources advised the US information outlet.
In 2019, throughout Trump’s first time period as president, the US signed a deal with Guatemala forcing asylum seekers who transited via the Central American nation on their approach to the US-Mexico border to first apply for defense there.
The so-called “protected third nation” settlement allowed the Trump administration to deport people from third nations, comparable to Honduras and El Salvador, to Guatemala.
It stays unclear whether or not any nations will agree to absorb deported, third-country migrants and asylum seekers when Trump takes workplace once more in January.
Final month, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California sued US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to acquire information revealing how the company’s deportation flights could possibly be expanded to hold out a mass deportation programme.
“Little is thought about how President-elect Trump would perform its mass deportation agenda, however what we do know is that this proposal has already instilled worry amongst immigrant communities,” Eva Bitran, director of immigrants’ rights on the ACLU chapter, mentioned in a press release.
“The general public has a proper to know the way its taxpayer {dollars} could possibly be used to fund deportation flights that will tear aside not solely households, but additionally our communities.”
In the meantime, Trump continues to advertise his hardline immigration insurance policies, threatening final month to impose 25-percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada “till such time as Medication, specifically Fentanyl, and all unlawful Aliens cease this Invasion of our Nation!”
Canada has since promised to bolster border security whereas Mexico — which has already been finishing up a crackdown on migrants and asylum seekers attempting to succeed in the US — made the biggest fentanyl seizure in its historical past this week.
Throughout a information convention on Thursday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum mentioned she hoped to succeed in a take care of the Trump administration in order that Mexico wouldn’t have to absorb third-country deportees.
“We hope to succeed in an settlement with the Trump administration in order that, in case these [massive] deportations occur, they ship individuals from different nations on to their nations of origin,” she mentioned.
Mexico, she added, was “in solidarity with everybody, however our fundamental function is to obtain Mexicans”.
