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Rock Hall Solid as a Rock

Posted as a comment by Artax to Successive Governments Turn Blind Eye to Squatters at Grantley Adams International Airport

What is the latest information on the squatters at Rock Hall?

Or, as is usual with certain issues in Barbados, after all the furor and condemnation, it seems as though people have forgotten about the “Rock Hall squatters” …………. and apparently the issue has become a “nine day wonder?”

I understand a few weeks ago, government officials visited Rock Hall, took certain information from some of the squatters, and offered to sell them land somewhere in St. George. I also heard the illegal non-nationals ran away when the officials arrived, but returned after they left to ask what occurred.

Has anything been done to regularize the status of those illegal non-nationals who have illegally occupied land at Rock Hall and built houses there?

Or, since they continue to break the law by residing in Barbados and occupying land illegally, will they be deported?

Has government begun to the disburse the $25,000 Mottley promised the squatters and will the illegal non-nationals be eligible to receive the money?

210 responses to “Rock Hall Solid as a Rock”

  1. David Avatar
    David

    You should be the very last commenter on BU to demonstrate concern about how a government treats the Haitians.

  2. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    David certainly u cannot be adressing your comment to me
    David Commisiong once made an opportunistic political decision to bring Haitains to barbados and it back fired in his face
    Every one knew that Commisiong reason was not built on compassion but a need for finding low paid slave workers who could be used as farm workers principally placing in these Haitians in agriculture jobs barbadians refuse to do

  3. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Another “jesus” moment
    I wonder if govt will be paying the psychiatric inmates when they are being asked by the SSA to do the work of removing garbage from the street.
    Sounds like another jack up.policy by a govt not knowning head from tail

  4. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    “Prescod said the additional help would include former patients of the Psychiatric Hospital as well as former convicts who served time in prison. He disclosed that inmates at Dodds were currently repairing some SSA equipment.”

    Seems a very progressive policy aimed at helping marginalised groups; however, I don’t see the word inmate or any synonym of inmate in that extract from Barbados Today. More disinformation?

  5. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    enuff

    is that another word for cheap labour-lol

  6. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    Greene
    Flexible labour.🤣🤣🤣

  7. David Avatar
    David

    The blogmaster agrees we are operating in time that require non standard approaches. Keeping an open mind is key.

  8. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    @ Enuff October 5, 2019 9:29 AM

    We have no objection to the enfranchising of those groups who have been treated over the years in the labour market as persona non grata; for example, those convicted for the handling of vegetable matter called Cannabis.

    However, this token gesture of affirmative action must not come at cost of exploiting these vulnerable people to satisfy the manpower cost reduction targets as demanded by some fiscal Lord called BERT.

    There should be No cheap labour hiring practices, imported or otherwise, to decimate the unions.

    What we would like both you and your BLP administration principals to admit to the country is that the SSA along with the TB and BWA have been placed on the Privatization auction block and are just awaiting some bidders with foreign money to start the divestment ball rolling.

    How else would the country meet its long overdue foreign debt obligations?

  9. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    Miller
    But no one was sent home from SSA under BERT according to what I read in the newspaper. Per Mr. Pan Africa, persons retired and now are on “leave” and the marginalised are being hired to help when there’s a shortage. Do you support hiring full-time staff, with such a severe shortage of trucks? Re forex, lmao yuh fishing.🤣🤣🤣

  10. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    The question still remains will these ” former inmates ” be paid
    Will they be allowed to join Unions

  11. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    @ Enuff October 5, 2019 4:51 PM

    It is noticed with deep concern your purposeful avoidance of the Privatization thingie.

    Why would there be a concerted programme of hiring permanent staff to replace those lost through natural attrition when big privatization plans are in store for the SSA and BWA with the add-on user charges on the water bills a foretaste of things in the pipeline?

    Why pay such relatively high user charges for sub-standard services under the direct control of politicians and their lackey bureaucrats and a toothless FTC?

    Aren’t the above-mentioned statutory corporations high on the agenda of the BERT-constructed list of those commercial SOEs up for restructuring aka divestment under the 3rd and 4th phases of trying to meet the said BERT targets before the country can have access to future draw-downs of forex so it can continue to import high-end luxury vehicles, stale water in plastic bottles and rancid coconut water from S.E. Asia?

  12. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    The Nation is also reporting about this and from the article the Minister is speaking about current patients at the Psychiatric Hospital. I suppose calling them “marginalized workers” removes any ethical concerns that people may have.

    https://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/242081/ssa-reaches

  13. john2 Avatar
    john2

    SARG
    they would have to be out patients

  14. john2 Avatar
    john2

    Ex/out patients and ex prisoners working as day laborers where they are given work only when it is available

  15. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    Miller
    How do you expect me to comment about privatisation when I am not part of, or privy to, government plans? I read stuff in the news like everyone else.

    Sarg
    The marginalisation of former prisoners and people with psychiatric issues is known. I don’t think anyone has to ascribe such to them simply to “remove any ethical concerns”. In any event what “ethical concerns”, paying people to work?

  16. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    @Enuff

    I was referring to the content in the two articles which implied that the Minister was speaking about people currently housed as patients in the psychiatric hospital, If the Minister is speaking of out patients I have no complaint, however I expect him or any Minister to exercise some clarity in their comments.

  17. luxtrev01 Avatar
    luxtrev01

    How is it that the SSA is supposedly understaff when they are workers who report for work as early as 6:30 a.m and leave their regular “liming” spot in Wildey around 11:30 – 1:00 p.m. daily; without driving a stroke, but are paid. It is said, this daily liming by some staff is due to the shortage of trucks.

    Some of these said SSA workers are uncontrollable as it is, some of them are in and out of prison. How will these recommended groups be managed under such conditions? Can this decision not pose serious security threats?

  18. luxtrev01 Avatar
    luxtrev01

    Can’t these “limers” fill the void seeing that they are being paid anyway?

  19. David Avatar
    David

    This government is suppose to be about rationalization and efficiency. The BWU is a member of the social partnership. What is the blogmaster missing ?

  20. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    Sarg
    Well two newspapers reported differently, why choose the one that says patients? Come, come do you expect people warded at a psychiatric facility to be recruited to collect garbage? Stupse.

  21. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    No ! The problem lies with govt putting out hot and sweaty policies without understanding the legal ramifications
    The first story printed said inmates at the Psychiatric hospital
    Notice Presocd did not asked the media for a retraction or apology but revisted the issue ( himself )with words to santize and make ammends for his awful mistake

  22. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    “David Commisiong once made an opportunistic political decision to bring Haitains to barbados and it back fired in his face.”

    Mariposa, you know your above comment is not TRUE.

    All David Comissiong did was, as Barbados’ Ambassador to CARICOM, announced government’s policy of removing the visa requirement for Haitians travelling here.

    He subsequently said Barbados was forced to reverse its decision to allow free movement of Haitian nationals into the country without a visa because of the “large influx of persons” of Haitian nationality coming from Panama and Chile who were not entitled to work here.

  23. Hants Avatar
    Hants

  24. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    How is it that the govt cant find money to pay SSA workers overtime to keep barbados streets clean but can pay White Oaks millions of dollars to sit on their a.sss and do nothing

  25. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Dont know why Haitians would leave Panama or Chile to come to find work in barbados
    Was in Panama recently did not see homeless or beggars in the street
    However the fact remains that the story when unfolded stated that the Haitians who had no means of support financially needed help in order to leave barbados and return to Haiti
    Also as the story dragged on Commisiong and the Haitian govt were addressing the problem

  26. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    RE: “Don’t know why Haitians would leave Panama or Chile to come to find work in Barbados…. Was in Panama recently did not see homeless or beggars in the street….”

    What does you being in Panama (if true) have to do with you not seeing “homeless or beggars in the street” and Haitian leaving Panama and Chile and coming to Barbados looking for work?

    Or are you suggesting if you had seen any homeless people or beggars they would have to be Haitians?

    You have demonstrated your ignorance by making that silly comment, in which you shamelessly made a stereotypical depiction of Haitians as homeless people and beggars.

  27. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    ” These are unprecedented times.”

    https://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/242142/doing-forward

  28. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Any one who have demostrated your lack of comprehension is yu jac.a.ss not seeing any homeless or beggars can be applied to any country who invest in their social enviroment where it serves the best interest of country
    Leave it to you to distort and twist and turn people comments toyour liking with your f up mind
    You a re a fuh real blp yardfowl fuh trute
    Yes i visited Panama recently maybe instead if u living in a bubble two steps behind maybe you should step out and see a bigger picture

  29. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    The progress in Dominica has been significant. Rebuilding houses, flood mitigation, the cleaning up of the country, and shoring up for the next possible hurricane or heavy rains has made a positive impact.

    According to Maloney, “There’s a lot more to do. Dominica is only a country of 70 thousand people. It’s a relatively small economy but it’s quite a large island. You can see there is a significant difference between when the hurricane hit and today”.

    After being the first into the fray and two years into the trial, Mark Maloney asserts that, “Our group of companies are committed to helping when people are in a time of need. The Rock Hard Cares Foundation exists to help countries around the Caribbean. We’re not going in and putting a plaster on a sore. We go in assessing the situation and really working to put sustainable measures in place to restore for long term benefit”.

    This article is sponsored by Preconco/Rock Hard Cement.

  30. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    No comment on the work being done by Mark Maloney in Dominica ?

    ” Now is the era of designing for high wind intensity and flood mitigation. For Maloney, “We need to have injection wells for our road infrastructure. Because the Caribbean is developing and properties are turning into hotels and homes, it means that all of that water is being transferred into the road networks. That’s why we get flooding because the land isn’t absorbing water anymore”.

  31. charles Skeete Avatar
    charles Skeete

    “DonnaOctober 3, 2019 6:58 PM

    Miller,

    My mother immigrated by invitation. I am a Barbadian by descent, status in order. I cannot answer for other Barbadians who break the immigration laws of other countries.. I have never complained if they are deported”

    Cannot believe you wrote that. So why are you opposed to Mr Trump doing what he was elected to do?

  32. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    Someone who cannot write at least two proper sentences in any contribution, butcher the English language and cannot spell…..has the audacity to tell anyone about “lack of comprehension?

    What does “any country who invest in their social enviroment (environment) where it serves the best interest of country” have to do with Haitians leaving Panama and Chile and coming to Barbados to find work.

    I believe you looked into a mirror just before you wrote “jac.a.ss” and “f up mind.”

    Please explain how asking you a few simple questions makes me “a fuh real blp yardfowl fuh trute?

    You habitually post LIES to this forum, so why should anyone believe you visited Panama recently?

    If, in your opinion, visiting Panama is “stepping out to see a bigger picture,” then you’re the one who’s “living in a bubble two steps behind.”

  33. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    David BU

    There is an article on page 3A in today’s “Sunday Sun” in which it was mentioned that “more than 20 houses in the controversial Rock Hall squatter community in St. Philip now have Town and Country Planning removal notices.”

    “The notices take effect on November 13 and give those involved two weeks from that date to remove their houses and all building material from the land, plus leave the land the way it was before the structure was built.”

    A woman who identified herself as a JAMAICAN national is reported as having said “Where is the land Mia talked about? She needs to sort that out for us because those notices do not give us enough time to move.”

    She also said it took her two months and $5,000 to build her home, which she has been in for three years.

    My question to her would be why did she leave Jamaica to come to Barbados and ILLEGALLY occupy land that she KNOWS is NOT hers, build a house without T&CP permission, which is also illegal……..

    …….. and now wants the government of Barbados to give her time to move and land as her REWARD for BREAKING the LAW?

  34. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    I suggest she stays put if she is asking for time
    In the meanwhile govt would be force to use the court for guidance which would give the squatters more time to seek legal resolution
    Also international laws built on humanatarian rights give guidlines and direction which are sufficiently put in place for squatters to seek relief

  35. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    The other question is as important. Why did our authorities allow the squatter’s village to take root? Allow them to grow families? There is enough blame to go around.

  36. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Artax

    The other question is as important. Why did our authorities allow the squatter’s village to take root? Allow them to grow families? There is enough blame to go around.

    Answer

    For the lack of vision the people suffer

  37. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    David BU

    It seems as though the squatters were given notices on three previous occasions.

    So, yes, “there IS enough blame to go around,” because this problem spans both BLP and DLP administrations.

    But you also have to take into consideration that, as reported in the March 19, 2017 edition of the “Daily Nation,” Land was being SOLD and LEASED and houses being RENTED at between $50 and $75 a week.

    This meant people sold land that was not legally theirs in the first place, to other people, who will now want to claim land they DO NOT have any LEGAL RIGHT to claim.

    In this case, is government responsible for compensating those individuals who purchased “land” at Rock Hall or offer them “house spots?”

    And what about the people who are renting? Is government responsible for providing them with NHC units?

    Should any of these individuals be eligible for the proposed $25,000?

    Another important question is what about the rights of the legal owners of this land?

  38. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    Government is always the solution of last resort. These people have children born in Barbados. How is this different to government bailing Clico policyholders for buying products at a time the regulator knew the company was under stress?

  39. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    David BU

    What about the LEGAL STATUS of their parents?

    The message you’re sending is “Come to Barbados, remain as long as you please, squat on other people’s property, get a few children……. and government will be forced to provide you with house and land.”

  40. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    The message this blogmaster is sending – the authorities must do their damn work including the politicians.

  41. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    The squatters are breaking the law but what is the solution that is manageable ?

    The Minister of Housing is reported to have said …..

    ” He noted there was an NHC waiting list for Barbadians seeking housing, but the country’s housing stock was “depleted”.

    https://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/211795/fix-housing-mess

  42. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    How can people who are in Barbados illegally have children who are legally born in Barbados? Even the British and Americans are getting rid of this nonsense. Place of birth is no guarantee of citizenship.

  43. David Avatar
    David

    To rep[eat for the hardheads on the blog, some of the squatters are Bajans.

  44. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Their is plenty legalities tied into this issue which gives squatters a right to pursue justice
    Govt cannot just send last minute notices asking for squatters to move
    The pursuit of justice is also based on humantarian law
    This issue does not revolve around one individual but hundreds of families which include children and elderly be them citizens of Barbados or citizens of other Caricom nations
    As usual like all social problems in Barbados the horse bolted and there is no one to catch the horse

  45. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    The following excerpt was taken from the March 22, 2013 edition of the “Daily Nation.”

    “BACK in 2007 Government made a big hullabaloo about the squatters at Rock Hall, St Phillip. Thirty-four of them were served enforcement notices and the then Prime Minister Owen Arthur, in a tough-talking speech to the country, was adamant that the 100 squatters who were in the vicinity of Grantley Adams International Airport “must go.”

    “He said they were affecting the underground water supply and aircraft safety at the airport and that he had given the Chief Town Planner the green light to take enforcement action against the squatters.

    “But six years later (2013) the squatters are still there and the community has almost doubled the 100 number and expanded their “territory” to as far as Gemswick (formerly Pennyhole) – an area directly facing the airport.”

    “What is also amazing about the situation, according to some of the squatters, is that both “the Democratic Labour Party and the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) were busy canvassing the area last election, holding spot meetings and distributing circulars.”

  46. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    ” The majority of the workers, who are from St Vincent and the Grenadines and Guyana, said this was not what they signed up for.”

    https://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/241950/jada-workers-stage-protests-sites

  47. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    Squatting is as Bajan as cou-cou. There are multiple explanations why the relevant authorities do NOTHING, which will alter the situation.

    The Chief Town Planner is constrained by Section 25 (8) of the Act
    from enforcing an order where it will result in displacement of persons
    and where there is no other accommodation suitable to the
    reasonable requirements of those persons. Therefore, before any
    enforcement activity takes place the Chief Town Planner must be
    assured that the persons whose homes are to be demolished have
    someplace to which they can relocate.

     The law also limits the Chief Town Planner to a four (4) year period
    starting from the date of commencement of any development within
    which to issue an Enforcement Notice. This means that if the Town
    Planning Department does not issue the Enforcement Notice within
    four (4) years of the erection of any illegal structure the law does not
    allow it to do so after this period. It should be noted that a large
    number of persons have been squatting for in excess of four years.

    The squatters have been assisted by various Government agencies. For
    example, the National Petroleum Corporation facilitates the provision of
    water to residents of the Belle. The Ministry of Social Transformation
    provided upgrades to housing units and the Ministry of Health provided
    upgrades to toilet facilities.

    In addition, these persons Squatters) can claim
    adverse possession(11) of a statutory corporation‟s land after ten
    (10) years of continuous occupancy and, likewise, in the case of
    Crown Lands, after thirty (30) years according to the 1997
    Limitations of Actions CAP 231. In this regard, the squatters would
    also be acquiring Government lands without making any payment. (all from AG Reports)

  48. David Avatar
    David

    @Northern Observer

    Good comment.

  49. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Further more was the land well secured along with signage forbidding trespassing
    How would a person from outside territory knows who or if the land is /in/ was possession
    Justifiable ownership requires fairplay

  50. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    lol…@ac….all you need know is the land doesn’t belong to you. Trespassing and erecting a permanent structure are not the same thing.

    Imagine. In 1997 at SixMen’s, the GoB acquires several acres of land. They cannot reach agreement on a price. 10 years later, 2007, not a cent has been paid for the land. But, persons have begun building structures, aided and abetted by the construction of a road, with multiple turn-offs, leading to said lands. Somebody has even built a large boat facility. By 2013, it is known at least 170 structures exist upon the lands. By 2018 that number has increased to 200+. By 2027, the original squatters will own the land. Why? We like it so.

    Now I know you never been down George Street. But effin you could reach Panama, tek a trip down to Six Men’s. You could even check out the new hotel. And the fancy beach bar.

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