Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
NASSAU, The Bahamas — Over just one week in late July 2025, The Bahamas’ Department of Immigration executed a major enforcement operation and secured multiple convictions in Magistrate’s Court, underlining mounting pressure to tighten immigration controls.
On July 24, Press Release No. 22 reported that authorities apprehended seventeen individuals from Haiti, including six women and eleven men, in a morning operation known as “Operation Morning Glow” across central areas of New Providence. The arrests were for immigration-related offenses, including overstaying, and those detained were processed at Carmichael Road Detention Centre.
Two days later, on July 29, Press Release No. 24 announced the conviction of nine foreign residents, comprising eight Haitian men and women and one Mexican man, who pleaded guilty to overstaying and illegal entry. All are expected to face deportation or fines as ordered.
Then on July 31, Press Release No. 25 confirmed that a further twelve individuals from Haiti were convicted in Magistrate’s Court for similar offenses. The specifics of sentencing or fines were not released.
Combined, thirty-eight individuals were either apprehended or convicted within a five-day window. Of those convicted, at least twenty-one were from Haiti, while others included individuals from Mexico and likely other countries.
These coordinated enforcement efforts reflect the Bahamas government’s intent to crack down on irregular migration and illegal overstays. The scale of arrests and court actions points to the significant operational demands on immigration authorities, even as the country grapples with broader regional migration flows.
Photo caption: Bahamas Immigration Operation in December 2024
