After the overloaded boat that capsized Monday evening, at 15 nautical miles south-west coast of Staniel Cay (Bahamas), 111 were rescued by the intervention of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, and caused the loss of 30 Haitian migrants ; the army of the Bahamas detained Wednesday 56 other Haitian migrants far from where the ship capsized earlier this week.

The Bahamian military authority indicated that migrants were intercepted near Ragged Island, when the authorities continued their research following the event of Monday.

The army of Bahamas indicates that the 111 survivors of Monday and the 56 migrants of Wednesdaywill be held in New Providence before being returned to Haiti, stating that the Bahamas has intercepted this year more than 1,500 migrants, 90% came from Haiti.

For its part, Ambassador of Haiti to the Bahamas, Antonio Rodrigue stated that the 111 survivors continued to recover after spending hours clinging to the hull of their vessel, the migrants were weak and dehydrated and a survivor was pregnant, adding that the Embassy expects a formal request from Bahamas to repatriate the group.

While the government of the Bahamas on Wednesday called for urgent talks with Haiti and other countries in order to discourage travel of illegal immigrants. "This is a human tragedy," declared Fred Mitchell, Foreign Minister of Bahamas "The government wants to hold urgent talks with all stakeholders surrounding and governments in the coming days to once again take additional measures to discourage human trafficking in Bahamian waters."

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9958-haiti-social-110-boats-haitian-peoples-rescued-30.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9960-haiti-social-president-martelly-deeply-affected.html

S/ HaitiLibre