Democracy and rights

Abbreviated as BAH by Abbreviationfinder, the Bahamas is a stable democracy where political and civil rights are generally well respected. However, discrimination of Haitians mainly occurs and violent crime is a growing social problem.

Elections are conducted in orderly forms in the Bahamas and political parties can act freely.

  • Countryaah: Offers a comprehensive list of airports in Bahamas, including international airports with city located, size and abbreviation, as well as the biggest airlines.

Rules designed to prevent corruption are relatively weak and there is no special authority to deal with charges of corruption. Domestic critics claim that widespread corruption has contributed to an economic downturn and rising taxes (see Current Policy). Corruption trials have been launched against several former ministers in recent years. Nevertheless, the Bahamas is relatively good in the Transparency International index of corruption levels, ranked 29 out of 180 countries (see the full list here).

Haitian migrants are being discriminated against. It is common for Haitians to be rejected and forced back to their home country without their residence permit applications being tested. Local and international human rights organizations have long criticized the Bahamas for not having a refugee policy that grants everyone the same rights. The conditions in the country’s refugee refugee camps, where both children and adults are interned, are said to be bad and the staff is accused of abusing migrants.

Freedom of expression and media

Both press and freedom of speech prevail and are well respected in practice.

However, slander is not decriminalized. Anyone sentenced to slander can be sentenced to up to two years in prison, although this is rarely the case.

The Bahamas is not included in Reporters without Borders Press Freedom Index.

Judicial system and legal security

The courts may seem free from political interference, but receive criticism for long waiting times. The authorities estimate that almost half of the prisoners have not received their sentences. The country’s only prison is overcrowded and the prisoners have inadequate access to ventilation, water and medical care. The death penalty is sentenced, but no execution has taken place since 2000. The Privy Council, the UK body that acts as the highest legal body, ruled in 2006 that the death penalty violates the country’s constitution. Amnesty International criticizes Bahamian police for assault.

The crime of violence is widespread. In particular, the number of murders is large; The Bahamas is ranked between 10th and 15th among the world’s countries in terms of the number of murders per inhabitant. The violence mainly affects people involved in illegal activities, but the United States has designated the Bahamas as a country where the smuggling of drugs, weapons and people pose worrying problems that can affect even outsiders. In 2016, reports of cocaine smuggling between South America and the United States are increasingly passing through the Bahamas, which has taken over some of the previous traffic through Central America.

Bahamas Crime Rate & Statistics

Bahamas Democracy and Rights
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