NASSAU, Bahamas — Nearly 1,000 Haitian migrants who illegally entered The Bahamas within the last week are expected to be repatriated by the end of the week, according to Minister of Immigration Keith Bell, who yesterday added that the government has information that more migrants are headed to The Bahamas, The Nassau Guardian reported on Tuesday, September 28.
“We anticipate repatriating 916 Haitians back to Haiti by the end of the week,” Bell said at a press conference.
“Now, that is very, very aggressive. That depends on whether we get the cooperation of the United States of America in terms of providing us with a carrier. That is contingent on whether we’re able to take one or two planes out of the fleet at Bahamasair to repatriate.
“That is contingent on whether or not we’re able to get the cooperation of the Haitian government to repatriate and, of course, we know that in the past, they turn around very, very quickly in terms of accepting their residents back.”
He said the government anticipates that repatriations will start as early as tomorrow.
Bell said Chief Magistrate JoyAnn Ferguson-Pratt flew to Inagua, where the majority of the migrants were being held.
“She’s there with another magistrate along with the administrator and they have commenced court proceedings from 9 a.m. this morning,” Bell said.
“They’re going to process those illegal immigrants very quickly. Once they’ve gone before the courts today, we anticipate working through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — and I’ve already reached out to the. Hon. Fred Mitchell — to ensure that the repatriation is immediate and quick.”
On Wednesday, authorities apprehended 86 Haitian migrants off Inagua.
The Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) said that on Thursday evening, while en route to Inagua with a group of 70 migrants who were apprehended earlier in the day, marines aboard the HMBS Bahamas spotted another sloop just five miles west of Inagua with 151 Haitians on board. See complete story in Nassau Guardian at https://thenassauguardian.com/on-alert-for-more-haitian-migrants/
