IN THE WEEK N WHICH exiled Haitian president and former priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide is negotiating his return, thousands of Haitian nationals are facing expulsion from the Bahamas.
A community of Nassaubased Benedictine monks this week reported raids on the homes of Haitians, many of whom have lived in the Bahamas for more than 25 years. According to reports, men, women and children are being rounded up and held.
CAFOD has appealed to the Foreign Office to use its influence to stop the forced repatriations. A CAFOD spokesman said: "It is a cruel blow that just when efforts to restore democracy to Haiti are making progress, the government of the Bahamas is forcing Haitians to return to a situation where basic human rights are denied."