US embassy cable - 04NASSAU2336

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NASSAU 002336 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR WBENT AND WHA/CCA JBEAN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2014 
TAGS: SMIG, PREL, PGOV, PHSA, CU, BF, Migration, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: RIOT AND FIRE AT MIGRANT DETENTION CENTER 
 
REF: NASSAU 1936 
 
Classified By: Political Chief Michael P. Taylor for Reasons 1.4 (B) an 
d (D). 
 
SUMMARY 
- - - - 
 
1.  (C) Detained Cuban migrants set fire to a dormitory at 
the Carmichael Road Detention Center the morning of December 
9, 2004, with three detainees temporarily escaping.  Violence 
broke out between some of the migrants and the Bahamian 
personnel attempting to regain control of the situation.  11 
Royal Bahamas Defense Force officials and 9 detainees 
suffered minor injuries during the melee.  At least four of 
the detainees were taken to Princess Margaret Hospital for 
treatment, two from injuries consistent with rubber bullets. 
Of the three escapees, one Cuban and one Dominican national 
were apprehended, but one Cuban remains unaccounted for. 
This unrest comes less than 24 hours after Minister of Labor 
and Immigration, Vincent Peet, made an announcement before 
the House of Assembly that "there is no evidence of abuse at 
the detention center" following an investigation by the Royal 
Bahamas Police Force into allegations by Amnesty 
International that Haitian and Cuban detainees were subject 
to beatings and other abuses.  End Summary. 
 
 
ESCAPE AND FIRE 
- - - - - - - - 
 
2.  (C) At approximately 9am on December 9, two Cubans and 
one Dominican escaped from the Carmichael Road Detention 
Center in Nassau, a facility mainly used to house illegal 
foreign migrants waiting to be repatriated to their home 
countries.  The Dominican and one of the Cubans were 
reportedly taken back into custody slightly over an hour 
later.  Superintendent Ferguson, the Chief Immigration 
Officer at the detention center, confirmed that the missing 
Cuban national remains at large as of noon on December 10. 
 
3.  (C) In what is described by the Minister of Immigration 
Vincent Peet as a "separate but connected event", officers of 
the Royal Bahamas Defense Force and Bahamas Immigration 
attempted to enter the dorm occupied predominantly by Cuban 
males.  Although the door to the dorm had been blockaded from 
the inside, these officers were able to gain access at 
approximately 11:15am.  Several of the Cuban men were acting 
belligerently, and others surrounded the Bahamian officers to 
prevent them from taking custody of the hostile men.  In a 
statement made by the Ministry of Labor and Immigration, "the 
dorm was set alight by the detainees who also hurled fiery 
objects at the officers.  The dorm was effectively destroyed 
by the fire before it could be extinguished.  In the event, 
the officers had to fire rubber rounds to restore order. 
There was no loss of life." 
 
4.  (C) To control the detainees, the RBDF and Immigration 
officers fired rubber bullets at the crowd.  Nine Cuban 
detainees sustained injuries, but only four required 
treatment at Princess Margaret Hospital.  Eleven RBDF 
officers sustained injuries, but none required 
hospitalization.  The Cuban Consul General, Felix Wilson, was 
apprised of the situation by the Department of Immigration. 
 
5.  (C) The dormitory sustained significant damage from the 
fire, and will be condemned according to Superintendent 
Ferguson.  Some of the 56 migrants occupying the dorm will be 
redistributed among the other dorms designated for male 
detainees.  In a press statement released by the Department 
of Immigration late Thursday night (December 9), the 
detainees believed to have deliberately started the unrest 
were taken to Fox Hill Prison, "and will remain there until 
their removal to their place of origin." 
 
 
COMMENT 
- - - - 
6.  (C) Fox Hill Prison and the Carmichael Road Detention 
Center have both been consistent sources of controversy for 
the Bahamian government in recent years.  Most recently, 
Cuban rights activists in South Florida raised allegations of 
severe beatings of Cuban detainees in October, which was 
followed by an Amnesty International report (see reftel). 
Post believes these reports to be largely unsubstantiated. 
Two days before this fire, several Cubans went on a short 
hunger strike at the Detention Center due to the poor quality 
of the food, and schedule of meals.  Because of limited 
Social Service staff as cooks, meals are served at 10am, noon 
and 2pm. 
 
7.  (C)  Minister Peet has admitted privately to embassy 
officials that the situation at the detention center "was of 
concern to him".  The detainees do not want to stay in 
detention and do not want to be returned to Cuba.  In this 
instance their frustration turned to violence. 
 
ROOD