A group of 42 Haitian nationals, including a heavily pregnant woman and six children, have been detained by Jamaican authorities after arriving illegally by boat in Portland over the weekend, police confirmed.
The migrants, who arrived between Saturday night and early Sunday morning, landed at Ross Craig beach in Long Bay aboard a 25-foot makeshift canoe with no engine. Their arrival was spotted by local residents who quickly alerted the authorities.
Members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) responded swiftly, locating the migrants along the beach and nearby roadways. The group, consisting of 29 men, seven women, four boys, and two girls, was taken into custody and transported to the Port Antonio Hospital for medical checks and processing. The pregnant woman was transferred to the maternity ward for further care.
Police suspect the group may be repatriated as early as Monday. The vessel they arrived in was later destroyed by fire under circumstances that are not yet clear.
This latest incident comes amid a growing wave of Haitian migration to Jamaica, particularly through Portland, which has become a frequent entry point for small boats fleeing the deepening humanitarian and political crises in Haiti. The crisis has triggered a mass exodus from the French-speaking Caribbean nation, with hundreds of thousands of Haitians seeking refuge across the region.
Last month, Minister of National Security Dr. Horace Chang described the influx of Haitian migrants as a “special problem” for Jamaica, especially in Portland. He highlighted the links between illegal migration and organized crime, including the illicit guns-for-drugs trade.
“We have a special problem in Portland. The Haitians find Portland as one of the entry points, and the Haitian illegal migration is heavily connected with the criminal underworld,” Dr. Chang said during an April visit to the parish. “They are a source of problems because they bring guns… it is heavily organised, and the organisers push guns, they take back drugs, and the gun-for-drugs trade is big business.”
He noted that the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard has intercepted several vessels attempting to enter Jamaican waters in recent months, though small boats continue to make landfall, particularly along the island’s northeast and southern coasts.
In April, the United Nations Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families called on Jamaica to provide greater clarity on its treatment of undocumented migrants.
