Haiti is not our Enemy, says TCI Governor

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, December 11, 2021 – Even as he rolls out a multi-faceted plan to stop illegal migration, Governor Nigel Dakin wants Turks and Caicos Islanders to know that Haiti is not our enemy.

Dakin was speaking at a press conference yesterday evening where he unveiled new border defense plans. He told islanders that Haiti has and always will be a neighbor to the TCI, and that the two countries were bound together for the rest of time, for better or for worse.

He maintained that the new initiatives were not a campaign against Haiti but that himself and the Premier had been meeting regularly with the former Haitian President and had hoped to organize a visit this year. In his absence the Governor was hoping to meet with the interim Foreign Minister this week.

“We are bound together, for better or for worse, for the rest of time.  As a result I was speaking regularly to the then Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs – Claude Joseph – including when he was Prime Minister – and myself and the Premier had hoped for a visit from him next year. He is no longer in office and so I hope to speak to the interim Foreign Minister this week.  ”

He lauded the Haitian Consulate for their work and said that the returning of irregular Haitian migrants to their home had been a joint effort between the two countries.

“The new Haitian Consul, who is a professional serious diplomat, and who I have been impressed by since her arrival – has been instrumental in helping build this relationship and the Haitian Government and Haitian Consul works with us collaboratively on repatriation – and for that I am grateful in that not all countries – including the United States – had such a straightforward arrangement with Haiti, during the height of the pandemic, as we did.  They were accepting flights from us when they were not accepting flights from others.”

While he acknowledged that the situation in Haiti was not ideal and would probably continue into the foreseeable future he said the TCI could not just be victims of the trade.

“Despite the deteriorating situation in Haiti – and despite the complications that slowed us down during the pandemic – we are in a much stronger place today than we were in 2019. We are now building from a position of increasing strength. There have been many significant successes. Many sloops are now turned around at sea before they reach our waters and for that we can thank our allies with whom we are now in much closer communication. Over the last two years this has genuinely started to become, if you like, a team sport.”

He warned TCI islanders against any sort of discrimination against the Haitian Community on the islands, but also charged the legal Haitian community in the Turks and Caicos to refuse to take part in the illegal trade, asking them to protect the Islands that they now call home.