Jamaican News

Bahamas official says country dealing with uptick of Haiti migrants over past week

FRED-MITCHELL

NASSAU, Bahamas _ The Bahamas says 178 Haitian migrants have been detained by local authorities over the last several days.

In a Sunday statement, Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell said the archipelago off Florida’s east coast has been “dealing with a deluge of illegal migrants who have breached our borders over the past week.”

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force late Wednesday intercepted an overloaded boat with 168 Haitian migrants seeking a better life. The group was made up of 131 adults and 37 children. Mitchell says authorities are “working to expedite their immediate return to Haiti.

He says 10 other Haitian migrants were also detained in Inagua, the islands’ southernmost district.

The Bahamas has sought over the past year to reduce illegal migration by increasing maritime patrols and imposing new restrictions on work permits.

The Associated Press

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