In June of 2022, Prime Minister Philip Davis attended the Summit of the Americas, where regional migration was one of the items on the agenda.
During the Summit, countries were asked to sign a declaration on migration, which included language suggesting that countries support and host undocumented migrants.
The Bahamas did not sign this declaration, although 20 countries in the region did.
The Prime Minister made it clear to President Biden that our country will not bear this burden. We need to devote Bahamian resources to solving Bahamian problems.
Earlier this week, NBC News and other media reported that the Trump transition team is proposing a list of countries to which it may deport migrants, and that The Bahamas, along with other nations in the region, was included on the list.
Our office released a statement in response to the list and proposal as reported by the media, and restated our country’s position, which is that we are unwilling and unable to accept migrants.
To be clear, our office responded to the proposal as characterized by the press, rather than any formal proposal made to us by President-elect Trump’s transition team, with whom we have not discussed the matter.
Our countries have long enjoyed a strong, productive relationship based on mutual interests.
We look forward to engaging constructively across a range of important issues with the incoming Trump Administration.