IMMIGRATION MINISTER DEFENSIVE OVER U.S. PRESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L NASSAU 000159 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR WBENT; NORTHCOM AND SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/24/2014 TAGS: SMIG PHUM CU BF SUBJECT: IMMIGRATION MINISTER DEFENSIVE OVER U.S. PRESS REPORT ON DETENTION CENTER REF: A. 04 NASSAU 2335 ¶B. 04 NASSAU 2355 ¶C. 04 NASSAU 2407 Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN D. ROOD FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) The Miami Herald ran a front-page article on January 23 reporting allegations of abuse and mistreatment made by Cuban and Haitian detainees at the Carmichael Road Detention Center in Nassau. The allegations, which included reports of beatings, mock executions, lack of drinking water and medical assistance, and poor quality of food, initially surfaced in October 2004 (reftels),and were followed by a fire and violent unrest at the center on December 9. Minister of Labor and Immigration Vincent Peet, who cooperated with the Herald and gave its reporter access to both the detention center and the prison, called the story "unbalanced" but promised to organize an inter-ministerial task force to investigate. Minister Peet already led one "independent" investigation into the situation at the detention center, which issued its report refuting the allegations of abuse one day before the December 9 fire. No new reports of abuse were cited in the Herald's story; some of the incidents date from a 2003 Amnesty International report. ¶2. (C) Twenty-two of the Cuban men involved in the fire remain detained at Fox Hill Prison, and claim to have been denied access to a lawyer and their families. The Bahamian government has yet to decide whether to bring arson charges against them. The majority of the Cubans in detention were repatriated to Cuba in late December, including all of the children. ¶3. (C) The government has privately indicated that it will not grant political asylum to the nine alleged members of the Partido Democratico 30 de Noviembre Franck Pais, who were offered safe haven by Nicaragua. All nine remain in The Bahamas at Fox Hill prison. Mr. Vernon Burrows, Bahamian Director of Immigration, told the Embassy at a lunch on January 20 that these migrants were denied refugee status at the beginning of the asylum-seeking process. Mr. Burrows stated that the migrants were instructed to claim they were members of the political party by Cuban-Americans in Florida to help their chances of being granted asylum. "They often can't even remember the name of the party from one interview to the next", Mr. Burrows said. When asked why they hadn't been repatriated already, Mr. Burrows responded that it is because of international pressure. The nine migrants were being harbored on land by Cuban-Bahamians when they were discovered on a small island in Minister Peet's constituency. Burrows implied that the international pressure combined to a lesser extent with the hesitation of Minister Peet to offend affluent members of his constituency has prevented this particular group's repatriation. ROOD