The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

POLICE and local fishermen in Ragged Island picked up more than 130 Haitian immigrants moments before they landed Sunday evening.

According to reports, shortly after 5pm, police in Ragged Island received information that Haitians were onboard a vessel just off the island.

With the assistance of local fishermen, police were able to arrest the 132 immigrants.

Immigration officers and Royal Bahamas Defence Force officials flew to Ragged Island to assist in transferring the immigrants to New Providence.

The group, made up of 107 men and 25 women, including three teenage boys and three younger boys, arrived in Nassau late last night. They will be held at the detention centre until they are deported.

In January, nearly 200 Haitian immigrants were attempting to sneak into the country when their sloop was intercepted by RBDF officials near Rose Island.

According to RBDF Senior Lieutenant Carlon Bethell, the immigrants were trying to enter through the western side of Nassau Harbour.

Last year nearly 4,000 illegal immigrants were repatriated at a cost of over $1 million, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell. Mr Mitchell said that a total of 3,868 migrants were deported – 3,033 of them Haitians, while the remaining 835 immigrants were of other nationalities.

From January 1 to February 18 this year, 410 illegal migrants were repatriated – 357 of them Haitians.