The Bahamas Immigration Department has confirmed the resumption of repatriation of Haitians in an irregular migration situation in the Bahamas archipelago.

Friday a Bahamasair flight that landed at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince had on board 75 Haitians (67 men and 8 women.)

The Immigration Ministry recalled that this first repatriation had been postponed in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Haiti’s refusal to authorize this flight. Clarence Russell, Director of Immigration reiterated that the Government of the Bahamas will continue repatriation and strengthen "its fight against illegal migration by instituting more effective management of border controls in accordance with Bahamian laws."

Recall that on June 3, violence erupted in the Bahamas Carmichael Road detention center because Haitians detained because of their irregular migration situation https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30949-haiti-social-haitians-detained-in-the-bahamas-demonstrate-and-want-to-be-repatriated-to-haiti.html , some were in this center since February 2020, demanded a date for their repatriation to Haiti.

Note that the International Organization for Migration, in 2015 estimated that 18% of the population of the Bahamas was made up of migrants living in the territory in an irregular migration situation, including 20,000 to 50,000 Haitians.

A number which over the past 5 years has increased considerably.

HL/ HaitiLibre