Press Releases

873 Illegal Haitian Migrants Intercepted At Sea in the Last 34 Days, Hundreds More Turned Back Close to Haiti’s Shore

May 4, 2007

Due to rumors of a wet foot/dry foot policy being applied to Haitians, the U.S. Coast Guard has seen a surge of migrants leaving Haiti over the last 34 days.  The U.S. policy has not changed and the U.S. Government is repatriating Haitian migrants, including those who reach the shores of the United States. 

On Tuesday, 01 May 2007, a U.S. Coast Guard ship patrolling the waters of the Windward Passage, intercepted a 50-foot sailing sloop with 139 Haitian nationals onboard.  Although the vessel was initially spotted by a U.S. Coast Guard aircraft south of Acklins Island the previous day, the re-directed Coast Guard ship was able to make the intercept approximately one and a half miles off the western end of Long Island, preventing the sloop from reaching shore.  Due to the dilapidated condition of the sailing sloop, each of the Haitian nationals were safely transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard ship for further disposition. HMBS BAHAMAS arrived on scene shortly after the intercept and took custody of the empty sailing sloop while the U.S. Coast Guard ship departed the area to repatriate the migrants directly back to Haiti.  

On Wednesday, 02 May 2007, a second U.S. Coast Guard ship intercepted another north bound Haitian sailing sloop west of Great Inagua with 56 Haitian nationals onboard.  This group of illegal migrants will be returned to Haiti within the next day. 

Since March 28, 2007, U.S. Coast Guard forces have successfully intercepted and repatriated a total of 873 Haitian nationals at sea in the Windward Passage and southern Bahamas region.  Another 180 Haitian nationals, found on four separate sailing sloops, were intercepted at sea by U.S. Coast Guard ships within close proximity to Haiti, and escorted back to their port of origin during this period as well.  This remarkable surge in illegal migrant activity from Haiti has resulted in a sharp increase in U.S. Coast Guard surface vessel and aircraft presence in the region.  Working in conjunction with Ship Riders from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, U.S. Coast Guard efforts have been successful in impeding the progress of illegal migrants from Haiti reaching Bahamian and U.S. shores. 

Based on repatriation cost estimates from the Bahamian Government, at sea intercepts made by U.S. Coast Guard forces in the last month have likely saved the Government of the Bahamas an estimated $158,013 in repatriation costs alone.  The continued partnership between the U.S. Coast Guard, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and Bahamas Immigration has played a significant role in the effective at sea response capabilities to this dynamic threat to national security for both the United States and The Bahamas.