AUTHORITIES found a dead body washed ashore on Harbour Island that is suspected to be part of a group of Haitian migrants who were apprehended in Eluethera on Tuesday, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Fred Mitchell said yesterday.
Mr Mitchell said his ministry will push for the boat captain to face murder charges if there is strong evidence to support this.
On Tuesday, officials in Exuma were able to apprehend 92 Haitian migrants who were found at Staniel Cay after their sloop sank. Of that group, there were 72 males, 12 females, and eight children. Mr Mitchell said in Eleuthera, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force was able to arrest 15 males, seven females and two children.
“The children and women will be flown out by Saturday. The males will be gone early next week,” he said.
“One dead body floated up at Harbour Island,” Mr Mitchell added. “We believe it is connected with the landing at Eleuthera. We think that we may have identified the captain of the vessel and our intention is to recommend murder charges if the evidence bears it out.
“This once again underlines the seriousness of this matter to the Bahamas. This is not sustainable and cannot be accepted. We must fight it.”
Mr Mitchell also gave an update on the housing situation at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre. He said as of Tuesday, there were 255 people held there and the new group of migrants just picked up would be added to this figure.
He also gave a breakdown of illegal immigrant repatriations. From January 2014 to December 2014, 3,868 immigrants were repatriated. Of that figure, there were 3,033 Haitian nationals and 835 other migrants.
From November to December 2014, 529 people were repatriated: 357 of them were Haitian and 172 were other nationalities.
The government introduced its stricter immigration policy on November 1, 2014.
He said from January 2015 to April, 1,528 immigrants were repatriated. Of that number, 1,274 were Haitians and 254 were other nationalities.
Mr Mitchell also told parliamentarians that over the next 18 months to a year, his ministry would spend around $18 million on new border management equipment.
“This will replace what we presently use for immigration applications and for passports. The monies I am advised are in the global provisioning of the Ministry of Finance. I hope that this will relieve some of the pressure which people feel about the length of time it takes to process applications for passports and for immigration applications,” he said.
Comments
URD 9 years, 5 months ago
Soooooo, he tells the police what to do?
Voltaire 9 years, 5 months ago
Another silly effort by this minister to artificially heighten tensions around the immigration issue. He was in the House today claiming there are "no go zones" for officers in shanty towns. I will believe that when I see it.
My2cents 9 years, 5 months ago
Your bias is always very blatant in any Haitian related story.
If he said nothing at all should be done, you and the other Haitians will use it in your video as "proof" of your mistreatment and disregard for Haitian life. Haitians are not usually victims, but boy do you like to spin it that way. A victim mindset is a very serious thing.
By the way, I hope you are right and the "no go zones" do not exist...to me that's silly. Immigration should go any and every where there are suspected illegals.
John 9 years, 5 months ago
Another V Alfred gray? Scenario
Emac 9 years, 5 months ago
@My2cents- You are 100% correct about Voltaire. I have been saying it for months now, that he is a closet Haitian. As I always say, nothing wrong with being a Haitian, but a Haitian pretending to be someone else hiding behind bias postings only makes his comments useless.
Emac 9 years, 5 months ago
@TRIBUNE STAFF: Please get your act together and protect these pages from hackers. When someone navigates to the page with the other story on Fred Mitchell's, the page is redirected to an unwanted site. Please be responsible. You have a lot of members who have signed up with personal information. This site should have a SSL certificate to encrypt data and to prevent hackers from attaching foolishness to your pages. Therefore a lock should be seen in the browser? If the person that you are paying is incapable, please let me know and I will gladly secure your site pro bono! SMH
afficianado 9 years, 5 months ago
I concur. I just came into my lab and decided to read the news and a porn site pops up.shakes head The tribune needs to do better
Tommy77 9 years, 5 months ago
True!!
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John 9 years, 5 months ago
Fred Mitchell for PM. (n O t)
TheMadHatter 9 years, 5 months ago
These immigrants need to be TOWED behind an RBDF vessel in an OLD rickety boat with a 1000 foot line. Then the defense force vessel hold position at the edge of Haitian territorial waters until a Haitian Govt vessel of some kind comes to take over the towing process.
Haiti should be informed upon rbdf departure from Nassau and an approximate arrival time at a particular set of coordinates.
Then WAIT there until they come. Only thing given to the Haitians while waiting is WATER. Put a news feed on zns television every day informing the world that they are there and we are waiting on them to be "collected".
TheMadHatter
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