Migrants are hunted as Haitian sloop lands

As of Monday, November 13, 2017

THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) is investigating reports of a Haitian wooden sloop landing in the southwest area of New Providence.

The incident occurred sometime Saturday night or early Sunday morning, the RBDF said, adding the number of suspected migrants on board were unknown up to press time.

However, the RBDF had several teams conducting a search of the surrounding areas on Sunday along with Department of Immigration officials.

The total number of undocumented migrants apprehended by the RBDF for the year is approximately 1,100. Half of these apprehensions were made jointly with local immigration and police authorities officers as well as the United States Coast Guard.

John 6 years, 6 months ago

How long ago it was when police officers crept on to the Defense Force in the dark of night and tied up sleeping officers and thereby taking charge of the base. Red faced officers, overcome with embarrassment, said it was only part of their military drills. Now, probably a decade later,, a slow moving sloop, loaded with illegal Haitians, sailed silently (never mind the noise, everyone is sleeping) across the same base and close enough into the land of New Providence shores and let off its human cargo, not unlike the Trojan Horse. Heads may not fly, just yet, but there needs to be an account.

SP 6 years, 6 months ago

Exactly what was the "Defense Force" supposedly defending when a boatload of illegals can sail right through their base and land next door?

Bonefishpete 6 years, 6 months ago

Hunted? Is there a season on migrants?

Porcupine 6 years, 6 months ago

When humans are "hunted", it only means one thing. This says more about us, than them.

SP 6 years, 6 months ago

This Haitian illegal migrant problem and the decades' old natural resource pilferage is where PM Sheriff Minnis and I meet the proverbial fork in the road!

Illegal Haitian migrants are human weapons of mass destruction to the Bahamas and Brent Symonette's crew of merchants are the trigger that stands to profit most!

Obviously, those assisting illegal Haitian migrants take PM Minnis as a big joke.

I, and every other Bahamian nationalist, however, are NOT JOKING!

Get it right, or the FNM can get damn lost!!!!

sheeprunner12 6 years, 6 months ago

Soooooooo, with $250 million investment in the RBDF ....... the Highshun sloops can still sail right up to Adelaide Beach??????? ......... What are we all missing here???? ....... PAYOFFS???

bogart 6 years, 6 months ago

Persons need to be fired. It is stupid to follow strategies that do not work second chance, third, fourth, how many yimes now. Bahamian taxpayers should not be paying salaries for repeated similar failures

We need a unit as thorough as TSA and a Homeland Security protection unit given the crises situation. Shanty towns must be demolished. Someone has to be getting bribed as they still remain for years versus lawbiding Buildrrs having to demolish govt unapproved works and face laws and be charged for its removal.

Such gaping breeches, loose apparant uninforcable laws squanders our birtrite we so cherish. Persons of other natipnalities and Bahamians who harbor and facilitate must be punished.

It is obvious that that persons who are proud of their foreign nationalitiy are in our midst who will protect illegal migrants of their own nationality to break our Bahamian laws.

Govt needs Homeland Security unit to effectively enforce the laws and prepare for the lies, false accusations, deceit, forgeries, smear tatics, outright lies, sympathy support from anti govt followers, fellow nationals, international condemnation from groups who will appear, accusations of breaking international laws, lots of little babies to be used for propagada puropses, photo shoots of inhuman conditions, women holding babies to block the way of investigators so others csn escape, false or true accusations of bribery, violence etcetcetc.

Despite repested changes in govts every 5 years the situation has worsened.

John 6 years, 6 months ago

So if 250 Haitians immigrants dem could come to shore in what supposed to be one of the most secure ports in the country, climb up in the navel string of the nation and disappear, can you imagine what’s happening out there on the high seas with our national resources? Our fish and conch and crab and groupers and yes sand and aragonite. The Haitians dem did us a favor and showed us how porous and penetrative our borders are.. and not just on the far flung islands. So when you catch them (is you do). Despite the egg on your face and international embarrassment don’t go into a frenzy and beat them to a pulp. Be kind. They are not terrorists but just persons from the poorest country on earth trying to seek a better way of life (many of them don’t even eat lobster or conch). So give them a good meal before you send them back home. Don’t be mad because they caught you sleeping 💤

Baha10 6 years, 6 months ago

Embarrassing ... and to think they should have been intercepted in Inaqua hundreds of miles away. We would do well to stop wasting money on the RBDF and simply hand over responsibility to the US Coast Guard, which they would not only welcome, but we would get efficient service for free.

sirD 6 years, 6 months ago

I know the area where they landed. There is a path/deserted dirt road leading right behind the Defense Force through Coral Harbour down Hopkins Drive and onward to Cowpen Rd. They were out of the area before the sun came up. Must have had some local help, for sure

Well_mudda_take_sic 6 years, 6 months ago

Unbelievable incompetence on the part of the RBDF. And to think we don't know what contraband or diseases they brought with them - drugs? guns? TB? Cholera? Our Minister of National Security (Marvin Dames) needs to fully explain to the Bahamian people how this most serious and embarrassing breach of our national security was allowed to happened right under the noses of the RBDF!!

Emac 6 years, 6 months ago

"Our Minister of National Security (Marvin Dames) needs to fully explain to the Bahamian people how this most serious and embarrassing breach of our national security was allowed to happened right under the noses of the RBDF!!"

Well_mudda_take_sic, he did! His explanation was that it is impossible to control the entire border of the Bahamas, and these kinds of things happens in every other countries. Then he went on giving examples..bla,bla,bla...Why did the Bahamas ever wanna become independent now?

I am seriously considering joining the Johnson's in Canada.

bogart 6 years, 6 months ago

Excellent navigation and sailing skills to evade and land nightime precise time and location for 100% success, leaving only the empty boat on the beach.

We need to hire that captain and crew to work on our side and pay them more than what they earn for a trip using a wooden disposable sloop and having greater success than a 1/4 billion dollar top notch naval vessels. While we have a very good RBDF, not all are in charge and heads must roll for this breech in not protecting our sovereign nation yet again. Also heads must roll for paying new marines 600 dollars less than contractual salart of 18,600.

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