Last Updated on November 6, 2019, 4:40 AM AST by Anthony Morris
An interview in 2016 in which St Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris was critical of Haiti deporting nationals of the Dominican Republic and returning them across the shared border, highlights his continued deception.
New York-based News America labelled Prime Minister Harris’ immigration raids and round up of nationals from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela in 2016 as a “Trump-like Immigration move.”
In a front page article on Friday 28th October 2016, News America wrote: “While many, including Caribbean nationals and leaders, have criticized Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump for his harsh immigration plan that includes deporting millions of undocumented immigrants, in the tiny Eastern Caribbean island of St. Kitts, a Trump-like deportation plan is being played out.”
“The Trump-like deportation move in a CARICOM nation comes over a year after Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris strongly condemned the decision by the Dominican Republic to deport persons of Haitian descent,” News Americas said.
It noted a statement by Prime Minister Harris in June last year (2015), when nationals of Haiti were being deported from the Dominican Republic.
“St. Kitts and Nevis respects a country’s enforcement of its immigration policies, however, given the socio-economic vulnerability of Haiti, we urge that the enforcement be done in collaboration with Haiti,” News Americas quoted Dr. Harris as telling Caribbean360 last June.
The New York media house also quoted caretaker for St. Christopher 8 for the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Dr Terrance Drew, as pointing out that while PM Harris was in the BVI calling for expatriates to be embraced, he orders his police to round up nationals of other countries in St. Kitts and Nevis.
“Here is Dr Harris in Tortola telling the government in the BVI that they must treat Caribbean nationals well, yet in St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr Harris is treating fellow Caribbean nationals inhumanely. What type of leader of this? What type of deception is this?” Dr Drew on “Issues” on Freedom FM and Kyss FM on Wednesday. “It is the hypocrisy that Dr Harris continues to display. It is the deception that he displays in everything he says and do. While he is making those glorified statements we see the rounding up of our Spanish brothers and sisters, many of them who were citizens of St Kitts and Nevis.”
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
