Corrupt immigration in Nassau?

[miketsp]

I'm just reading an article in yesterdays' paper here in Brazil and there's an article about a group of divers from Belem in the north of Brazil that went on a dive trip around Central America and the Caribbean.
One of the stops was in the Bahamas and the trip was organised by Vectra Travel, a well known agency here - I've travelled with them before.
When they arrived at Nassau the group of 13 was detained with no explanation. They were kept handcuffed one to another in group for 20 hours in what they describe as sub-human conditions. They were fed once during this period. Using their cell phones they managed to film one of the immigration employees trying to extort money from the group - on average they were carrying 4 thousand USD each.
Then still with no explanation they were deported using their own air tickets to the next destination - Cuba.
The owner of Vectra Travel received an email apologising for the treatment from the Bahamas government, signed by Glenda Johnson. This mail states that they would like to see the divers return to Nassau. :shakehead

I doubt very much if they or many other Brazilian divers will be planning trips to Nassau after this incident.

 

[cowboyneal]

They're just lucky they weren't trying to enter the US, where they possibly could have disappeared into a secret prison, not afforded legal representation and held indefinitely without charges...

 

[ianr33]

They're just lucky they weren't trying to enter the US, where they possibly could have disappeared into a secret prison, not afforded legal representation and held indefinitely without charges...

Agree 100% with you on that.

Wonder how long these posts will last??

 

[cowboyneal]

lol...you think my views subject to censure? I thought we were the freedom people!!!!

 

[ianr33]

Well thats what you like to tell the rest of the world

All the mods must be off diving or something

 

[JDog]

deleted

 

[DandyDon]

I'm just reading an article in yesterdays' paper here in Brazil and there's an article about a group of divers from Belem in the north of Brazil that went on a dive trip around Central America and the Caribbean.
One of the stops was in the Bahamas and the trip was organised by Vectra Travel, a well known agency here - I've travelled with them before.
When they arrived at Nassau the group of 13 was detained with no explanation. They were kept handcuffed one to another in group for 20 hours in what they describe as sub-human conditions. They were fed once during this period. Using their cell phones they managed to film one of the immigration employees trying to extort money from the group - on average they were carrying 4 thousand USD each.
Then still with no explanation they were deported using their own air tickets to the next destination - Cuba.
The owner of Vectra Travel received an email apologising for the treatment from the Bahamas government, signed by Glenda Johnson. This mail states that they would like to see the divers return to Nassau. :shakehead

I doubt very much if they or many other Brazilian divers will be planning trips to Nassau after this incident.

Sounds like some corrupt people worked their way into the system and thot they could get away with this on Brazilians.

Funny that Ms Johnson would like for the divers to come back. :silly:

 

[jfcl01]

Finally, a real dialogue on Scubaboard! Kudos to you to, Cowboyneal. Sometimes the namby pamby "everything is alright in america, so it must be alright everywhere else-or they just arent doing it right" discussions make me want to puke, and wish that about 90% of americans would just take domestic vacations. Glad to see at least a couple of you have some cajones(mine are symbolic).

 

[DeputyDan]

I agree with CowboyNeal also.

I think citizen or not everyone with US legal issues should be entitled to due process.

 

[miketsp]

..snip..
Funny that Ms Johnson would like for the divers to come back. :silly:

It seems that Ms Johnson is Director of the Bahamas Tourist Office for Latin America and Florida and reports to the Minister for Tourism in the Bahamas, so it's her job to attract tourists.
I've just been reading some of the propaganda they put out in a big advertising campaign here in July 2006.

It seems that the Bahamas is the diving capital of the world (sic) with the third largest coral barrier reef and that they have the clearest water in the world with vis reaching 60m (200ft). This has been proven scientifically based on the presence of a determined alga that requires light for its survival and is found at deeper depths in the Bahamas than anywhere else on the planet.