Bahamas Rejects Trump’s Proposal to Accept Deported Migrants
The Bahamas has rejected a proposal from the incoming Trump administration to accept deported migrants, following a review of the plan by the island nation’s government.
Prime Minister Philip Davis’s office confirmed on Thursday that his government had received an offer from the Trump transition team to allow deportation flights of migrants from countries that refuse to accept their citizens. However, the Bahamas firmly rejected the proposal, stating that no further discussions or engagement took place after the rejection.
This rejection comes as part of Donald Trump’s efforts to follow through on his campaign promise to crack down on immigration, including mass deportations. According to NBC News, Trump’s team has been reaching out to several other countries, including Turks and Caicos, Panama, and Grenada, to discuss accepting deported migrants.
Trump’s anti-immigration stance has been a key component of his political platform, with harsh rhetoric that blamed migrants for crime and promised to carry out large-scale deportations. It is unclear whether migrants sent to these countries would be allowed to work or what kind of pressure the Trump administration might apply to convince other nations to accept them.
The US has long faced challenges in managing its southern border, with Trump previously describing a supposed migrant “invasion” and blaming undocumented immigrants for a range of societal problems. His administration also faced criticism for its harsh immigration policies, including the use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport foreigners from certain countries.
Last month, Trump announced that he would bring back Tom Homan, a former immigration official, to oversee the enforcement of border policies. Homan previously led immigration enforcement during part of Trump’s first term.
This latest proposal follows a pattern of tough immigration policies, reminiscent of the UK’s now-abandoned plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, which was dropped after the Labour Party’s election victory earlier this year.
