Forty-five Haitians will appear before a court in the city of Clarence, Bahamas, on Wednesday, accused of illegally entering the Atlantic archipelago after their boat was found by local authorities.
Haitian immigrants were arrested by law enforcement officers on the island of Long Island, according to a statement from the Immigration Department indicating that a group of 36 men and 9 women were detained by agents of the Royal Police Force. Bahamas Police (RBPF) and the Customs Department.
The events were recorded after his boat arrived in Clarence, the capital of the island of Long Island.
Immigration officials moved to Long Island to investigate Haitian-related incidents, which are currently being held at the Clarence Community Center.
According to the statement, all the immigrants have received medical attention with the staff of the local Ministry of Health and have reported that they are fine.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Long Island Legislative Representative Adrian Gibson said the immigrant ship ran aground before dawn on Wednesday.
He said immigrants were provided with masks and that a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter collaborated with search and rescue efforts.
The statement said the group is expected to appear before the Court of Magistrates in Clarence today.
The Atlantic archipelago of the Bahamas has recently seen an exponential increase in the number of immigrants trying to reach its shores irregularly, which has translated in recent months into an increase in arrests.
A large proportion of immigrants are nationals of Haiti, although there are also people from other countries in the region trying to reach the Bahamas.