RIOT AND FIRE AT MIGRANT DETENTION CENTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NASSAU 002336

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR WBENT AND WHA/CCA JBEAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2014
TAGS: SMIG PREL PGOV PHSA CU BF
SUBJECT: RIOT AND FIRE AT MIGRANT DETENTION CENTER

REF: NASSAU 1936

Classified By: Political Chief Michael P. Taylor for Reasons 1.4 (B) an
d (D).

SUMMARY
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1. (C) Detained Cuban migrants set fire to a dormitory at
the Carmichael Road Detention Center the morning of December
9, 2004, with three detainees temporarily escaping. Violence
broke out between some of the migrants and the Bahamian
personnel attempting to regain control of the situation. 11
Royal Bahamas Defense Force officials and 9 detainees
suffered minor injuries during the melee. At least four of
the detainees were taken to Princess Margaret Hospital for
treatment, two from injuries consistent with rubber bullets.
Of the three escapees, one Cuban and one Dominican national
were apprehended, but one Cuban remains unaccounted for.
This unrest comes less than 24 hours after Minister of Labor
and Immigration, Vincent Peet, made an announcement before
the House of Assembly that "there is no evidence of abuse at
the detention center" following an investigation by the Royal
Bahamas Police Force into allegations by Amnesty
International that Haitian and Cuban detainees were subject
to beatings and other abuses. End Summary.


ESCAPE AND FIRE
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2. (C) At approximately 9am on December 9, two Cubans and
one Dominican escaped from the Carmichael Road Detention
Center in Nassau, a facility mainly used to house illegal
foreign migrants waiting to be repatriated to their home
countries. The Dominican and one of the Cubans were
reportedly taken back into custody slightly over an hour
later. Superintendent Ferguson, the Chief Immigration
Officer at the detention center, confirmed that the missing
Cuban national remains at large as of noon on December 10.


3. (C) In what is described by the Minister of Immigration
Vincent Peet as a "separate but connected event", officers of
the Royal Bahamas Defense Force and Bahamas Immigration
attempted to enter the dorm occupied predominantly by Cuban
males. Although the door to the dorm had been blockaded from
the inside, these officers were able to gain access at
approximately 11:15am. Several of the Cuban men were acting
belligerently, and others surrounded the Bahamian officers to
prevent them from taking custody of the hostile men. In a
statement made by the Ministry of Labor and Immigration, "the
dorm was set alight by the detainees who also hurled fiery
objects at the officers. The dorm was effectively destroyed
by the fire before it could be extinguished. In the event,
the officers had to fire rubber rounds to restore order.
There was no loss of life."


4. (C) To control the detainees, the RBDF and Immigration
officers fired rubber bullets at the crowd. Nine Cuban
detainees sustained injuries, but only four required
treatment at Princess Margaret Hospital. Eleven RBDF
officers sustained injuries, but none required
hospitalization. The Cuban Consul General, Felix Wilson, was
apprised of the situation by the Department of Immigration.


5. (C) The dormitory sustained significant damage from the
fire, and will be condemned according to Superintendent
Ferguson. Some of the 56 migrants occupying the dorm will be
redistributed among the other dorms designated for male
detainees. In a press statement released by the Department
of Immigration late Thursday night (December 9),the
detainees believed to have deliberately started the unrest
were taken to Fox Hill Prison, "and will remain there until
their removal to their place of origin."


COMMENT
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6. (C) Fox Hill Prison and the Carmichael Road Detention
Center have both been consistent sources of controversy for
the Bahamian government in recent years. Most recently,
Cuban rights activists in South Florida raised allegations of
severe beatings of Cuban detainees in October, which was
followed by an Amnesty International report (see reftel).
Post believes these reports to be largely unsubstantiated.
Two days before this fire, several Cubans went on a short
hunger strike at the Detention Center due to the poor quality
of the food, and schedule of meals. Because of limited
Social Service staff as cooks, meals are served at 10am, noon
and 2pm.


7. (C) Minister Peet has admitted privately to embassy
officials that the situation at the detention center "was of
concern to him". The detainees do not want to stay in
detention and do not want to be returned to Cuba. In this
instance their frustration turned to violence.

ROOD