By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

SEVENTY-FIVE people were repatriated to Haiti on Friday, the first repatriation of illegal immigrants since March when countries began implementing border closures to prevent spread of COVID-19.

The Bahamas Immigration Department said the Bahamasair flight to Port-au-Prince included 67 men and eight women, according to the Bahamas Department of Immigration.

The department said in a statement that the process was "seamless" and was overseen by Clarence Russell, director of Immigration, and Dwight Beneby, assistant director of Immigration with responsibility for operations.

The statement added: "This repatriation was postponed in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The department will continue its commitment to carrying out the mandates of our agency to combat illegal migration by establishing effective border control management in compliance with the statute laws of our country.”

On Friday, Mr Russell told The Tribune repatriation exercises involving Chinese and Cuban nationals are next on the agenda.

In mid-March, Bahamasair officials said Haitian government officials announced that people would not be allowed in the country.

Earlier this month, unrest at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre had to be quelled after Haitians demanded to be returned to Haiti. A group of Haitians had started a hunger strike, demonstrating “belligerent behaviour", according to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force. That group included 67 men and 18 women, representing 56 percent of the population at the facility.

The RBDF said although marines de-escalated the situation, a flight later broke out between two Haitians. Some detainees then escaped their dormitories and destroyed several fences and minor infrastructure.

“The situation was contained, the detainees separated and several of them are expected to be charged with destruction of government property as well as to be placed at Her Majesty’s correctional facility,” the RBDF said.

“Immigration and police officials are also actively engaged in their respective roles to address the situation.”

The Department of Immigration said the Haitians had refused to eat “until they were given a date for their departure flight into Port-au-Prince, Haiti”.

“However, they were not all in agreement for the hunger strike, hence the altercation among themselves in dormitory #1. It is to be noted that no detainee breached the common area of the dorms.”

Officials eventually increased security at the facility and moved some of the detainees to the Bahamas Department of Corrections.