By JASMIN BONIMY, Guardian Staff Reporter

jasmin@nasguard.com

Local government officials in Inagua met last night to discuss Immigration Minister Shane Gibson's plans to possibly relocate The Detention Centre (the Centre) to a south-eastern island.

Island Administrator Neil Campbell told The Guardian last night, that officers in his department met at a Council meeting to discuss the relocation plans. "What I would have told them, is to go out and really get a feel of the people and the powers that be will come in a little later," Mr Campbell explained. "That was one of the items on the agenda for last night."

Meanwhile, Mr Campbell also told The Guardian that a town meeting will be held in the near future to give natives of Inagua, a chance to voice their opinions with regard to the relocation plans.

"We are planning a town meeting just to consult with the individuals here," said Mr Campbell. "The Local Government Council will meet with the community, just to get the general feeling on it. And then we will give our report to Minister Gibson." He added that this report could come as early as next week. Minister Gibson on Sunday announced plans to move the Centre to an island in the South-east Bahamas.

At a press conference held at the government-run institution, he said his ministry has concerns about the compound being located in a residential area.

"Unfortunately, when you look at this compound, it's not in an area [which is] really conducive to what we are trying to do," he said. "It's a highly residential area. We have houses over here on the south side. We have the churches on the north side.

And of course, we have a private lot on the west side. "This is not the ideal location for The Detention Centre; perhaps...some place like Inagua or the south east islands...most of the persons [whom] we house in The Detention Centre come from down south." But Minister Gibson admitted that there are no immediate plans for the move. He emphasised that his ministry is presently looking at [other] possible locations.

Still, he added that security measures at the compound are going to be beefed up, until an ideal location is found and a new detention centre is constructed. "We decided on a number of measures...we are looking at [installing] the CCTV (closed circuit television) and we have already made the decision to bring in some guard dogs," he said.Over the past week, police reports indicated that a Jamaican detainee scaled the fence at the Centre and two Cuban women detainees escaped from the compound.

Minister Gibson said investigations into such escapes are ongoing and that he is awaiting the results of police investigations into such breakouts.