Earlier Sunday, the Royal Bahamas Defense Force intercepted a makeshift boat carrying 30 illegal Haitian migrants, [5 children, one woman and 24 men]. The Haitians were transported to Nassau (the capital), where they were welcomed by immigration officials and volunteers from the Red Cross to be eventually returned to Haiti.

In addition, last week, officials of the Dominican Navy arrested 48 Haitians boat people who were heading to Puerto Rico as they sailed on a "yola" boat type towards Puerto Rico, from Boca de Yuma, south-east of the Dominican Republic.

30 other Haitian migrants were also intercepted near the town of Loaves (North East), on a road leading to a beach, where officers seized a 30-foot boat, which would have been used for illegal transportation in Puerto Rico.

Two Dominicans, that the Navy considers as the captains of the ship, were also arrested during this operation.

According to our information, Haitians have paid a total of about 1.2 million pesos [41 pesos = 1 U.S. dollar] to smugglers Dominicans and Haitians to undertake this perilous journey. According to the authorities, our countrymen will be repatriated in the first instance, in Santo Domingo and then probably to Haiti...

HL/ HaitiLibre