By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
ONE Haitian died and more than 100 other migrants were apprehended by Royal Bahamas Defence Force marines in the Exumas yesterday morning.
According to reports, several of the migrants were suffering from dehydration at the time of their capture. On arrival in Nassau, medical officials declared one migrant dead.
Around 8:30am Her Majesty’s Bahamian Ship P45 intercepted a white and green American sailing yacht.
The vessel was 4.5 nautical miles off the coast of Harvey Cay, Exuma.
When marines searched the vessel, they discovered several undocumented Haitians on board.
That group was taken into custody, brought into the RBDF base at Coral Harbour and turned over to Department of Immigration officials. They arrived at around 2pm.
A medical team from the Department of Health’s Disease Surveillance Unit, headed by Dr Julian Smith and nurse Earnestine Flowers, provided medical care.
The second group of migrants found in Inagua were expected to arrive at the Coral Harbour base after 6pm.
In a separate operation, police officers arrested 23 Haitians during an early morning round-up. Police say they took the group into custody at Harbour Island. They were later taken to New Providence and turned over to immigration officials.
This latest incident follows the arrest of 19 Cubans over the weekend.
The group was discovered at Cat Cay, which brought the total number of Cubans housed at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre to 50, based on figures released by Department of Immigration.
Since the beginning of the year, 3,417 immigrants from 24 different countries were repatriated to their homelands, Immigration officials said.
Eighty-three per cent of the migrants repatriated were from Haiti.
Comments
Sickened 10 years ago
Looking at the picture I would think that all those persons aboard our official government vessel should be wearing life jackets once on board. If any of them fall overboard and drown once in our custody then we Bahamians are getting sued.
Also, our police boat would certainly not get underway with all those persons sitting in front of the cockpit and blocking the captains view, would they?
SP 10 years ago
The country is under siege by relentless invading Haitians and your concern is life vest and the captains cockpit view?
Your national pride is skewed!
DreamerX 10 years ago
Or rather, their sense of human rights is reasonable. In matters of the international public eye, we have received relatively negative reports based on purported mistreatments of persons held at the detention centre. It would then, seem prudent to make sure, at least in part for media purposes that we are giving the appearance of safely and humanely handling such individuals. And national pride is the same pride of prejudice and hate that is borne of racist groups and caste based groups. So I find national pride disgusting because it is the fuel of hate and has no purpose beyond manipulating the populace.
pablojay 10 years ago
I agree with you SP , SICKENED must be Haitian-Bahamian as all i see are some apparently WELL FED Haitian ladies hoping to have Bahamian born babies within a year. That sickens me!
Sickened 10 years ago
My Bahamian roots probably go back much further than yours or SP's. I just seem to care for people, unlike you two.
SP 10 years ago
So when Haitians show up in your bedroom at midnight to deliver your Haitian-Columbian necktie, you can ask them if he needs a Kalik, with chicken salad sandwich and if his knife is sharp enough and properly sanitized!
GrassRoot 10 years ago
@Pablo - well as we all know by now, the Bahamas does not know ius solis. So being born on Bahamian soil does not do anything for child born to an illegal immigrant - further if you think Haitian ladies are well fed after they endured this trip, you are reasonably unhealthy in your head - so I suggest you zip it, as you don't act like a Bahamian should. Treat these humans humanely, if there is a reason to let them stay, let them stay else send them home. That is the procedure.
pablojay 10 years ago
GrassRoot my commenting on them being well fed concerns their appearance generally, they are not as big as many of our Bahamian ladies but none of them appear to be slim.I am sure that our officers gave them rations to sustain them and improve their condition as you and i would have done.
Sickened 10 years ago
I just want things done correctly and humanely and for our defense force and other government officials and representatives to do better. There is no need to risk people's lives. I certainly wouldn't be proud if we accidentally allowed 100 humans to drown... would you?
I also just noticed that the defense force officer on the far side doesn't have a life jacket on either. If he has to go in the water to save one or two people he will probably be drowned in their panic.
This summer in the harbour, two of our police boats were escorting a pleasure boat, laden down with some 40+ people on it. The pleasure boat was barely out of the water. But, instead of giving the passengers life vests and/or safely removing some of the passengers onto the police vessels, the police made every other boat in the harbour slow down so that there was absolutely no wake, as any wake would capsize the pleasure boat. The defense force just seems to make silly mistakes that could cost lives. They seem to care... but not too much.
John 10 years ago
Is the illegal Haitian problem the Bahamian Trojan Horse? Will Bahamians wakevup one morning and find the Haitian flag flying in Rawson Square and Haitians declaring they are now in the majority and have thereby taken possession of our beloved Bahama Land. We need to bring this problem to resolve.
GrassRoot 10 years ago
the Bahamian Trojan Horse is Bahamar, my friend. Its already built and it will spill out more Chinese than you can possibly imagine.
GrassRoot 10 years ago
and the Chinese Flag is already up there (sic!)
SP 10 years ago
@ Sickened....So when Haitians show up in your bedroom at midnight to deliver your Haitian-Columbian necktie, you can ask them if he needs a Kalik, with chicken salad sandwich and if his knife is sharp enough and properly sanitized!
Don't forget to make sure they're hydrated before affixing your new Haitian-Columbia necktie ensemble. Wouldn't want the international community to view you wrongly at your funeral.
Princetide 10 years ago
I think refugees tend to migrate illegally to seek an opportunity, and a perceived better way of life. Not to kill and conquer. That would be more likely done by those with hatred and prejudice in their hearts.
shortpants 10 years ago
Looking at the picture I would think that all those persons aboard our official government vessel should be wearing life jackets once on board. If any of them fall overboard and drown ,But they were not wearing any when they started their search for freedom right ,so who gives a damm .Everything is human rights for these people .They have almost taken away all of our rights.Plus they want to put Haitian-Columbian necktie on us .Tell there Prime Minister take care of their people ,we hardly could get our government to takes care off us.
sansoucireader 10 years ago
Why are illegal immigrants STILL being brought into New Providence, where most of the population lives? Wish the brilliant minds in charge would wake up and realize how dangerous this is! Article already states one person aboard was dead.From what? Don't just assume dehydration as there are many diseases around now. They should NOT be brought here; they should be isolated! I think this goes along with the lack of face-masks, life-vests and how they are overloaded/seated on the RBDF boat: lack of planning and the ability to do the same stupid things over and over again. Heaven help us.
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