TCI to open diaspora office in Nassau, Bahamas

The Turks and Caicos Islands Government is looking to establish a diaspora office in Nassau, Bahamas to promote and strengthen relations between the TCI government and overseas based TC Islanders.

The office, according to information, will be opened within the coming weeks.

The idea is to have a better working relationship between the government and overseas-based TC Islanders.

Premier Hon Charles Washington Misick commented on the government's plans in a joint communiqué issued by HE Governor Nigel Dakin on Monday, January 23, following a TCI delegation’s visit to the Bahamas from December 4-8, 2022.

Misick stressed that the office will provide a more structured engagement hub to advance relations and dialogue that will in turn foster national development.

He said: “As part of the Turks and Caicos development goals it is important to leverage the broad contribution that our kin and kind offer to the homeland.

“While we are reaching out to our global diaspora family it is generally believed that the largest proportion of Turks and Caicos Islanders live throughout the Bahamas: for that reason it is only fitting that we start by establishing an office there.”

Misick explained that although the office will not have consular status, its operations will be under the purview of the Governor’s office and it will liaise with the British High Commission in Nassau whenever necessary.

He said: “The Bahamas is our closest neighbour, the people of our countries share similar cultures, close family ties and perform important roles in each other’s countries.

“We also enjoy a high level of informal cooperation in many fields including security, medicine, law and politics.

“Additionally, we share leadership of several church and civic organisations.”

The territory’s leader underscored that the Bahamas has been a friend to the Turks and Caicos Islands throughout the years.

He continued: “It is only fitting that we formally recognise our friendship and a commitment to work closely together in our mutual interest.

“An office in the Nassau will help us to do just that, we also welcome the expressed intention of the Bahamas to establish a consular office in the Turks and Caicos Islands.”

Bahamas Visit

In a recap of the TCI delegation’s visit to the Bahamas last month, His Excellency Governor Nigel Dakin who led the delegation along with Premier Washington Misick stressed that the official engagement has deepened and solidified bilateral relations between both countries that face common threats.

He said: “The Bahamas could not have made us feel more welcome or valued, the regional and transnational threats we face are too large for TCI to face alone. Indeed, because criminals and smugglers so easily cross borders, they are too large for the Bahamas, or even the US, to face alone.

“We are stronger together - and our individual security needs are to be increasingly thought of in terms of our collective security.

“We have worked diligently over recent years to strengthen OPBAT.

“We can feel the difference at sea, and the Bahamas' support to our policing effort has helped demonstrate that very clearly to our population on land.”

He explained that there is much more both countries could work together on, particularly in the area of intelligence sharing.

“While the threat won’t diminish, I’m confident our collective response will only now accelerate, and we can disrupt and arrest those that believe they can operate between and against our jurisdictions.

“ I look forward to the OPBAT Conference in March to continue this engagement and I’m grateful that the Bahamas have chosen to continue their Tactical Firearms Officer Support to us as we enter 2023”.

Part of the three-day visit

Turks and Caicos Islands Government Delegation with the leadership of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force included meetings with: the Prime Minister, Dr the Hon Phillip Davis; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Public Service, Hon Frederick Mitchell; the Ministry of National Security, Hon Wayne Monroe; the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Commodore Raymond King and the British High Commission.

The TCI delegation which also included members of the National Security Secretariat also paid a courtesy call on HE Governor General, Sir Cornelius Smith.

Following the courtesy call, the TCI delegation participated in detailed meetings with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, led by its Commander, Dr Raymond King and the Royal Bahamas Police Force led by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Leamond Deleveaux.

This included a tour of the Defence Force base at Coral Harbour.

The high-level delegation met with the Leader of the Opposition, Hon Michael Pintard and was also hosted by the United States Embassy led by Mrs Usha Pitts,

Charge d’ Affaires, and the United States Coast Guard led by Captain Benjamin Golightly.

Governor Dakin added that: “The focus of the visit was threefold - to say thank you to the Government of the Bahamas for their support over the last year – particularly the deployment of 24 Bahamian Police Officers to TCI and the operationalizing of the Bahamas/ TCI Ship-Rider Agreement.

“Secondly, to brief on and