In an effort to maintain current rules restricting people from strife-torn Haiti from entering The Bahamas, the Bahamian government has told the US government and Haitians that it will not allow Haitians to travel to the country to interview for American visas.

The office of Prime Minister Phillip Davis said in a statement that a plan by the US to switch visa processing for Haitians to The Bahamas will not be entertained, as it “will result in no additional entries to The Bahamas for the purpose of US visa applications. Because US policy fully restricts entry to their country by Haitian nationals, we will not grant entry to The Bahamas for the purpose of applying for a US visa.”

The new system as adumbrated by Washington should have kicked in at the beginning of November, but it is unclear now whether this will be abandoned or whether the two sides will meet to arrive at a compromise. The State Department announced the plan on August 28.

The Bahamas is particularly sensitive about Haitians in the country, as nearly a quarter of its population of 401,000 is made up of Haitian nationals who have settled there over the decades, many of them economic migrants fleeing political unrest back home.

The US had earlier this year placed Haiti on a list of countries severely restricted from visa eligibility, with US officials blaming the lack of proper central control in Haiti and a high level of overstays as reasons for the restrictions.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Prime Minister Davis said The Bahamas will not be “used” for visa processing.

“We are not going to be just used for the purposes of allowing, because what happens if someone comes here and that visa is denied? There’s no need to come to The Bahamas. Visas, you can go online and apply, and if you meet the criteria, it could be done.” He also signaled official intent to tighten entry requirements for Haitians to The Bahamas in the coming months, noting that the rules were tightened in recent months and “we will tighten again.”

Like The Bahamas, Haiti is a fellow member state of the Caribbean Community. Many member nations have imposed severe restrictions or visa requirements, fearing a flood of migrants headed to their shores.