Monday, the agents of the Bahamian defense forces have intercepted 117 illegal Haitian (96 men, 17 women and 4 children) aboard a boat near the island of Inagua, south of the archipelago.

In a statement, the Bahamian authorities said that it was during a routine exercise that monitoring agents spotted a boat 112 kilometers from Inagua. It is upon inspection they discovered the 117 boat people who were immediately arrested and transported to the island of New Providence. Recall that in less than two weeks, 190 Haitians in an irregular migratory have been arrested in the territorial waters of the Bahamas.

These new arrests, are added to the many cases of Haitians who arrive in the archipelago undocumented, forcing the Administration of the Bahamas to implement policies more strict for Haitian nationals.

Recall that in November 2014, came into force a law on immigration which stipulates that all foreigners living in the territory of the Bahamas without residence papers will be repatriated to their countries of origin, which created a international controversy, https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-12477-haiti-politic-the-hunt-for-illegals-is-open-to-the-bahamas.html Note that nearly 70,000 immigrants (18% of the Bahamian population) are living on this territory, mostly in an irregular situation, including 20.000 to 50.000 Haitians (Source International Organisation for Migration - IOM).

See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-17006-icihaiti-social-54-haitians-intercepted-off-the-coast-of-providenciales.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-14799-icihaiti-flash-143-haitian-boat-people-arrested-in-the-bahamas.html

HL/ HaitiLibre