Forty-five Haitians will appear before a court in the Bahamas town of Clarence on Wednesday, accused of illegally entering the Atlantic archipelago after their boat was found by local authorities.
Haitian immigrants have been arrested by law enforcement officers on 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 Bahamas Police Force (RBPF, in English) and the Customs Department.
The events were recorded after his boat arrived in Clarence, the capital of Long Island.
Immigration officials traveled to Long Island to investigate incidents involving Haitians, who are currently being held at the Clarence Community Center.
According to the statement, all immigrants received medical care from the Ministry of Health staff and reported feeling well.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Long Island lawmaker Adrian Gibson said the immigrants’ boat crashed before dawn on Wednesday.
He said immigrants were offered masks and that a US Coast Guard helicopter assisted in the search and rescue efforts.
The statement said the group was expected to appear in court in Clarence today.
The Atlantic archipelago in the Bahamas has recently seen an exponential increase in the number of immigrants trying to reach its shores irregularly, which has led to an increase in arrests in recent months.
A large proportion of immigrants are citizens of Haiti, although there are also people from other countries in the region trying to reach the Bahamas.