By MORGAN ADDERLEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
madderley@tribunemedia.net
116 Haitian migrants were charged with illegal landing in a magistrate’s court on Monday.
Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux released the majority of the migrants to the Department of Immigration for processing.
However, 12 migrants were also sentenced to a fine of $300 or six months in prison, and thereafter released to the Department of Immigration, after it was revealed that they were repeat offenders.
An immigration officer confirmed to the Tribune that the migrants will be repatriated within a few days.
A total of 124 Haitian migrants were apprehended by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force on Sunday, however immigration officers reported that a few of them were minors.
"Sometime around 3:00 am (Sunday), Patrol Craft P-125 coxswained by Petty Officer Patrick Donald intercepted a 40 – ft. sail sloop approximately 8 miles south of New Providence,” the RBDF said in a statement released Sunday.
"HMBS Rolly Gray, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Stephen Rolle also assisted with the apprehension.
"The migrants - (107 males, 17 females) have all been turned over to Immigration officials for further questioning.
The RBDF has apprehended or assisted in apprehending over 400 Haitian migrants in 2018. Those migrants have since been charged before the courts for illegal landing.
Commenting has been disabled for this item.