By Denise Maycock

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE 12 Africans taken into custody by Department of Immigration officials in Grand Bahama last week are seeking asylum, fearing they would be killed if they are returned to their homeland of Nigeria.

Hubert Ferguson, assistant director of immigration in Freeport, said that the group was initially landed in Nassau, but had travelled to Grand Bahama where they were arrested by immigration officers after it was discovered they had overstayed their time.

When contacted on Tuesday, Mr Ferguson said the African nationals informed immigration officials they feared they would be killed if returned to their homeland.

“They feared for their lives and said that they would be killed because they had supported the opposition party in Nigeria,” he said.

Mr Ferguson stated the department initially started processing the asylum request for them in Freeport, but said they would have to undergo a secondary processing in New Providence by Bahamian authorities, and a report will be forwarded to the United Nations and human rights representatives.

The Africans have since been transferred to New Providence, where they are being detained at the Detention Centre.

Mr Ferguson explained they will compile a report and a determination would be made as to whether their case is legitimate.

An asylum–seeker is a person who is yet to receive a decision on his/her claim for refugee status. This term could refer to someone who has not yet applied for refugee status or someone who is awaiting feedback. Many applicants for refugee status will not be successful in attaining it, this newspaper was told.

Attempts were made to contact Supt Steve LaRoda, of the Department of Immigration’s refugee section, but they proved fruitless up to press time.

However, according to information obtained from the Bahamas government website, the Department of Immigration assesses requests for refugee status using a process called “refugee status determination” (RSD). This is conducted by having migrants complete the necessary forms and undergo an interview.

Research is also conducted on the individuals’ country of origin and an investigation of the migrant him/herself. At the completion of RSD phase, an assessment of the case is decided.

Mr Ferguson said that the Africans claimed they were crew members traveling to The Bahamas to join a ship that was expected to arrive in Grand Bahama.

According to initial reports, ten men and two women from Africa were taken into custody last Thursday for overstaying their visitor status.

It was reported that the nationals departed Lagos on May 2, flying to Istanbul, then on to Cuba, and finally arriving in Nassau on May 4 where they were landed for three days.

According to immigration officer Napthali Cooper, the group purported to have traveled to The Bahamas as “crew members” with the expressed intention of joining the vessel Deepwater Asgard in Freeport, Grand Bahama.

Elnet Maritime Agency Ltd was selected to have been the local agent facilitating the transaction. However, the 12 crew members never showed up in Freeport on May 3, as scheduled and failed to contact the local shipping agency.

Immigration officials also discovered that the ship did not arrive as was anticipated by Elnet Maritime.

Acting on information received, immigration officers proceeded to No 17 Riviera Towers in the Lucaya area where five African nationals were taken into custody after their passports revealed they had overstayed their time. Acting on further information received, they went to Holmes Rock where seven more African nationals found at an apartment and taken into custody for overstaying.

It was initially believed the group was involved in an elaborate scheme to be smuggled into the United States.