By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

DEFENCE Force Commodore Raymond King said officials expected illegal immigration, which has slowed “considerably” since the start of the year, to increase when Kenyan officers reached Haiti to lead a multi-national security mission there.

“We saw some traction, and the coast guard would have dealt with one or two vessels,” he said yesterday.

“I think the Haitian Coast Guard itself would have had to respond to a vessel that sunk, and I think they were able to rescue some 41 of their own nationals, and so it had slowed, but we remain positive. We still have assets dedicated to the southeastern Bahamas to respond to any need.”

Immigration Minister Alfred Sears said during his budget contribution last month that 2,910 foreign nationals had been repatriated to their home country for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

In March, Commodore King said from January to February, there was a 650 per cent decrease in migrant interdiction compared to the same period last year –– 140 versus 1,055. By the following week, however, migrant apprehensions began to increase significantly. Between March 11 and April 7, 676 migrants were apprehended.

On Friday, Kenya’s National Police Service (NPS) said it is successfully combatting gang activity and restoring security to Haiti.

Kenya recaptured a port and cleared a blockade leading to a gang-ridden town, the NPS said on X, the website formerly known as Twitter.