NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) — The Bahamas Government is proposing that the United States (US) consider the implementation of a formal visa-free travel treaty between the two countries.

The country’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Fred Mitchell, said the issue had become much more important as the United States intensified its crackdown on illegal migrants in the North American country and with US President Donald Trump recently vowing to ban migration from all “third world countries”.

“Bahamians have always wanted to travel freely to the United States,” Mitchell told Parliament, adding “In previous incarnations, the US Government, I said to them, and I’ve indicated in sort of private discussions with the prime minister, that I think we ought to formally propose to the United States a treaty between ourselves for visa-free access for Bahamians to the US.”

“I said to them, particularly, since in these days of climate change and all these other climate emergencies, that if 400,000 of us moved to the states, it wouldn’t make a difference in terms of impact on the population, but the fact is that you have to behave lawfully, and this ought to be lawful entry into another country,” Mitchell said as he contributed to the debate on the Smuggling of Migrants Bill, 2025.

Bahamians currently are able to travel to the United States without a US visa if they have a clean police record, but need a visa if they are entering the United States from another country.

Mitchell said the Smuggling of Migrants Bill, 2025 is important for bringing Bahamian laws in line with international expectations and standards.

“You can’t go into another man’s country unlawfully, and neither can a government, The Bahamas Government, be seen to be condoning the unlawful entry of people into another country, and that’s what this is,” Mitchell said.