16130: Schweissing: Joint effort leads to deportation of immigrants (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Daniel Schweissing <dan_schweissing@hotmail.com>

http://www.thenassauguardian.com

Joint effort leads to deportation of immigrants

Publication Nassau Guardian
Date July 11, 2003
Section(s) National News

By KHASHAN POITIER Guardian Staff Reporter

The joint effort of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and United States Coast
Guard led to the capture of some 600 illegal refugees over a six day period.

A total 137 illegal immigrants were systematically seized, including 91
Haitians, 28 Jamaicans, five Chinese nationals, five Cubans, two Peruvians,
two Nicaraguans, a Colombian, a Guyanese, a Honduran and a Dominican
national.

The separate seizures occurred several metres from the New Providence and
Grand Bahama banks.

Between June 30 and July 6, a total of 170 refugees have been deported,
including 157 Haitians, seven Colombians, two Jamaicans, one Dominican, one
Peruvian, one Nicaraguan and one German.

The repatriation exercises for 114 Haitians included in the group cost the
country $20,000, while other nationals purchased their own tickets to their
respective countries.

Additionally, the U.S. Coast Guard spotted and immediately repatriated some
464 Haitian immigrants to Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Saturday.

The first group of refugees was spotted on an overcrowded boat near Great
Inagua. On board were 121 men, 23 women and two children, who were all given
life jackets and taken onto the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter.

A second group of 319 illegal refugees was found. One of them was deported
to Cuba.

Both vessels were immediately destroyed as they posed a threat to
navigation.

In a statement to The Guardian on Wednesday, the Department of Immigration
said, "the Ministry of Labour and Immigration is firmly committed to
protecting the borders of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas and calls upon all
concerned Bahamians to unite in this worthwhile effort."

Currently, the Detention Centre is housing 89 illegal refugees awaiting
deportation. Among those numbers are 31 Haitians, 31 Cubans and 27
Jamaicans.

Posted Friday 11 July, 2003

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