a240: Bahamas--Influx of Haitians to start the New Year (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Daniel Schweissing <dan_schweissing@hotmail.com>

Influx of Haitians to start the New Year

Released Wednesday, January 2, 2002 at 02:08 am EST by Perry Scavella


By PERRY SCAVELLA
Guardian Staff Reporter

One hundred and seven illegal Haitian immigrants onboard a 40-foot Haitian 
wooden sloop approximately 5 miles south east of Hawksbill Rock, in the 
Exuma Chains, were captured by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force around 2 p.m. 
on New Year's Eve.

RBDF officials reported that 92 males and 15 females were found onboard the 
sea-vessel, which they said was unsanitary, and transported them aboard the 
patrol craft HMBS Inagua. Under the command of Lieutenant Carl Blades, the 
immigrants arrived at Coral Harbour Base, New Providence, around 2:30 a.m. 
New Year's Day. RBDF officials reported that the immigrants were in fair 
condition and were released into the custody of Immigration officials who 
took the immigrants to the Detention Centre, Carmichael Road, for 
processing.

It was only on Dec. 20 last year that 167 Haitian nationals were repatriated 
to Port-au-Prince, Haiti by the Immigration Department.

As a result of this massive repatriation of illegal Haitians in December, 
immigration officials reported a total of 46 illegal immigrant nationals at 
the Centre. This included: 14 Haitians; eight Cubans; six Chinese; four 
Sierra Leoneans; three Jamaicans; three Colombians; and one of each of the 
following, Guyanese, Nigerian, Nicaraguan, Turkish, Dominican, Bangladeshi, 
Kenyan, Uzbekistan.

Up until November last year, immigration officials have recorded to have 
repatriated 6,770 illegal immigrants to their respective countries. Some of 
these immigrants included: Americans, Chinese, Cubans, Kenyans, Dominicans, 
South Africans, Turkish, Bangladeshis, Nigerians, Nicaraguans, Jamaicans, 
Colombians, Uzbekistan, and Haitians.



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