By LETRE SWEETING

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

ALL 375 migrants being held in Inagua have been repatriated, said Immigration Minister Keith Bell yesterday.

This comes after nearly 400 migrants were being detained on Inagua after they were apprehended. The government had established a temporary holding facility, able to hold some 800 migrants, on the island to allow for quicker repatriation exercises.

Mr Bell gave an update regarding the situation in Inagua, including details on the migrants that had been apprehended during his contributions to the parliamentary debate on the Fiscal Strategy Report yesterday afternoon.

“Despite the volatile unrest in Haiti last week, we successfully repatriated all 375 persons who were in Inagua. There are no persons, Madam Speaker, at this time in Inagua,” Mr Bell said.

“Repatriation flights are ongoing,” he said.

“We will continue to improve the facilities at the Inagua site to make it as liveable as possible. And, of course, as you know, Madam Speaker, we are moving toward construction of a permanent site,” Mr Bell added.

“The Department of Immigration continues to see that the laws are followed in our commonwealth, that our borders are protected, that we maintain our legal and international commitment, while at the same time protect the sovereign integrity of this great commonwealth for future generations to come and in this regard, this calls for heavy financing.”

Mr Bell also spoke about the statistics related to the migrants and the cost of repatriation.

He said: “As I speak, there are 395 irregular migrants detained at the detention centre at this time and contrary to popular belief, we have 255 Cubans, compared to 128 Haitian nationals there. We have 14 women and children in our safe house.

“As you are aware, persons who are held in our detention facilities are brought before the courts and are repatriated to their homelands as quickly as possible.

“In 2022, repatriation flights cost us $1,506,077.10. Thus far for 2023, 570 persons were repatriated to their homelands during the month of January, the majority of which were Cuba and Haiti. That is 167 Cubans, 368 Haitian nationals. This was done at a cost of $68,768.17,” Mr Bell said.

The cost of meals for migrants is $30 per day. Other costs include healthcare supplies, clothing, cleaning supplies and laundry services.

Mr Bell added: “Operating the detention centre is a major undertaking. Nonetheless, the Department of Immigration continues to fulfill its mandate of protecting our borders and that is done with the RBDF.”

“We are committed to ensuring the health and safety of irregular migrants, until they can be safely repatriated,” he said.

On February 18, Mr Bell branded comments from critics that the government is not doing enough to address the illegal immigration problem in the country as completely “disingenuous”.

Then, last Thursday, Minister Bell revealed that officers had found a number of migrants, one of whom was found with a fraudulent work permit.

He then spoke about the recent migrant vessel interceptions and pointed to last month’s apprehension of nearly 400 migrants spotted in waters near Cay Sal Bank.

Among those apprehended were some 55 children. They were later turned over to the RBDF and sent to Inagua for processing.