Five Haitian nationals, including a pregnant woman, were arrested on Sunday morning during a targeted police operation in the Spring Ground district of Christiana, Manchester.
Deputy Superintendent Luhas Daniels, acting commander for the Manchester police, said the early morning raid was carried out based on intelligence regarding suspected immigration breaches and a search for prohibited weapons.
“During a targeted operation in Spring Ground district of Manchester, the premises was searched, and five Haitians—four males, one female—were found at the premises. Their names are being withheld [pending] further investigations. They were all arrested and taken into custody for processing and further investigation,” Daniels said.
No weapons were found at the location, and police confirmed that all five individuals were medically examined. Investigations are ongoing.
The arrests come amid ongoing national concern surrounding Haitian migration to Jamaica.
In April, National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang described Haitian illegal migration to Portland as a “special problem,” citing its connections with a guns-for-drugs trade and rising homicide rates.
Activist groups—Freedom Imaginaries and Jamaicans for Justice—have called for full investigations into Jamaica’s treatment of Haitian asylum seekers. They allege violations of the country’s 2009 refugee policy, including the denial of legal counsel and collective expulsion without due process.
