The Mudd, a shantytown located on Grand Abaco Island is populated in overwhelmingly majority by Haitian migrants who have settled there over the decades.
For hundreds of years, Haitian nationals have been migrating and settling in the Bahamas. In fact, in some regions of the island chain, Haitian nationals account for more than 20% of the population.
However, the study points out, Haitian migrants are constantly associated with illegal immigration status, poor education and poverty, which makes it impossible for them to be able to integrate into Bahamian society and be able to aspire to a better quality of life than they left in their native country.
Language barriers also prevent Haitian migrants from fully participating in society. In this case, this barrier could have also taken away the possibility of knowing the monstrous hurricane they would face.
The governments of Haiti and Bahamas should take this opportunity to repatriate the Haitians who are illegally present in the Bahamas. This will benefit all parties involved. The Haitians illegally present in the Bahamas will be able to exit the hurricane zone and get help from their own countrymen, while escaping the discrimination that you say they face in the Bahamas. The Bahamas will have that many fewer displaced people from the hurricane to worry about with their limited resources.
Yes, I am aware there are Bahamians of Haitian descent who are there legally. Those are Bahamians. But we both know there are a great number of Haitian nationals here whose presence is it odds with the law.