The United States Coast Guard has repatriated 88 Haitians, including 26 women, who were intercepted on Tuesday, April 5 north of Sagua La Grande in Cuba.
The US Coast Guard said the illegal migrants were aboard an “excessively overloaded sailboat” which was also taking on water.
“We ask families in the United States not to encourage their loved ones in Haiti to make this dangerous journey,” said Lt. Connor Ives, law enforcement officer in Coast Guard District 7, as the Haitians were being repatriated on Sunday.
“The risk of loss of life is great on these dangerous boats,” he added.
This marks the fourth vessel transporting Haitian migrants the authorities have intercepted since the start of the year. Last month the US Coast Guard intercepted a vessel with 179 Haitian migrants approximately 30 miles off Andros, in The Bahamas. A wooden boat carrying over 100 Haitians ran aground in the shallow waters off the coast of Ocean Reef Club, north of Key Largo, about 300 meters from the shore a week later. In January, the US Coast Guard intercepted another boat near the Florida Keys carrying 176 Haitians, ten of whom had to be taken to hospital with symptoms of dehydration.
Figures released by US authorities show that the number of migrants intercepted by the US Coast Guard in the past six years, totaled 6, 965.
Since October 1, 2020, the US Coast Guard said its crews have interdicted 1,152 Haitian migrants compared to 1,527 in Fiscal Year 2021; 418 in Fiscal Year 2020; 932 in Fiscal Year 2019; 609 in Fiscal Year 2018; and 419 in Fiscal Year 2017.
Haitians flee the French-speaking Caribbean country that has a high level of crime and poverty for a better life in North America as well as in some CARICOM countries such as The Bahamas.
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