San Juan.- A joint operation by the Turks and Caicos Islands Police (Rtcipf) and the patrol boat of the Royal Bahamas Defense Force intercepted a boat with 190 migrants early this Sunday morning Haitians off the Turkish coast.
The 40-foot (12.1-meter) wooden boat was carrying 190 Haitians, 141 men, including a minor and 49 women, were detained and turned over to Turks and Caicos immigration officials for processing, according to the statement issued by the authorities.
In this context, Police officer Trevor Botting indicated that the Northern Caribbean Region is experiencing an increase in the number of boats with migrants trying to illegally access the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas.
“So far in 2023, 21 ships have been intercepted by the Rtcipf with more than 2,600 detained migrants. The number of vessels and people detained this year exceeds all the totals of previous years and we are only 6 months into 2023,” Botting warned.
“I am grateful to the crew of the RMBS LL Smith for their diligence and professionalism in enforcement and interception and to the Government of the Bahamas and RBDF Commodore for their continued and committed collaboration in protecting our territorial waters and borders,” added the uniformed
He also stressed that all agencies in the Turks and Caicos Islands remain committed to addressing current threats from irregular migration.
The operation was carried out within the framework of the “Shiprider” agreement signed by the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2022 and which highlights the continued collaboration between the two countries.
Botting stated that “together we are stronger in the defense of our countries through the fulfillment of our shared objectives.”
To mitigate irregular migration, the US Department of Homeland Security has agents temporarily based in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
In his last New Year’s message, Prime Minister Washington Misick assured that the goal for 2023 was to reduce immigration.
Due to its proximity, including to the US, and standard of living, the Turks and Caicos archipelago has been a destination of choice for many Haitians seeking a better life.
