By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe rebuffed Amnesty International’s call for countries to suspend repatriations to Haiti and revealed that two Royal Bahamas Defence Force vessels departed for Haiti with 263 Haitian nationals on Tuesday.

Amnesty International said conditions in Haiti are putting the lives and safety of Haitian nationals at risk and that immediate humanitarian assistance is needed to alleviate those affected.

The human rights organisation said more than 35,000 people have been displaced since the beginning of 2024.

During yesterday’s Office of the Prime Minister’s press briefing, Mr Munroe noted The Bahamas declined to sign the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, which concerned efforts to create regular migration throughout the Americas.

“The prime minister is focused on the wellbeing of The Bahamas and the wellbeing of The Bahamas does not permit us to accede to Amnesty International’s request,” Mr Munroe said.

“It didn’t permit him to sign the declaration of Los Angeles as the United States of America sought to impress on us to do. I am confident that this Prime Minister will never let down the people of The Bahamas and act against our interests.

“The honourable prime minister has indicated in many statements that he has refused to sign the Declaration of Los Angeles, which would have imposed on us an ability to house migrants as our country is heavily tasked with what we have to accomplish now and are not capable of taking on that extra burden.”

Mr Munroe said 216 men, 44 women and three children were repatriated on Tuesday morning.

“The Ministry of National Security, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the Bahamas Department of Immigration together with the Ministry of Education arranged for the repatriation of the 107 migrants that were intercepted by the HMBS Kamalame over the weekend and a number of migrants who were then at the Detention Centre in New Providence,” Mr Munroe said. “A total of 156 migrants in all were flown down to Inagua, Great Inagua.

“The HMBS Lawrence Major was set to depart Matthew Town, Inagua, at 1800/6pm and did. She was escorted by HMBS Kamalame to the port of Cap-Haitien and the northern coast of the Republic of Haiti. The forecast arrival time, which was roughly met, was 8am this morning (yesterday).”

The recent escape of more than 4,000 prisoners in Haiti has intensified efforts to secure the country’s border.

Prime Minister Davis recently said the RBDF is deploying significant assets, including surface vessels, aircraft and 120 RBDF personnel, to combat illegal immigration amid Haiti’s deepening crisis and a surge in attempts by undocumented migrants to enter Bahamian waters.

The United States and the United Kingdom will position assets in the region, and intelligence will be shared among Bahamian officials, the US Coast Guard, the Turks and Caicos and the Cuban Border Patrol.