226 more Haitians detained in The Bahamas
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — The Bahamian military detained 226 Haitians on an overcrowded ship near the island of New Providence yesterday, bringing the number of Haitians detained in the Bahamas to more than 750 for the year.
Haitians have been streaming into the Bahamas faster than the government can repatriate them, Immigration Superintendent William Pratt said.
The migrants detained yesterday were found aboard a 30-foot (9-metre) boat five miles (8 kilometres) off New Providence island, the Bahamas Defence Force said.
Just hours before, an airplane carrying 164 previously detained migrants left Nassau for Haiti.
Already, 7a61 illegal Haitian migrants have been apprehended this month, compared with 570 in January of 2001.
Last week 14 Haitians drowned off New Providence after their overcrowded sloop capsized when the migrants surged to the front of the boat to meet a Bahamian patrol boat.