At least 28 Haitians drown after ship sinks off the Bahamas

AFP | At least 28 Haitians have drowned off the coast of Abaco in the Bahamas, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) said Sunday.

“Thus far, a total of 17 persons have been rescued alive and 28 bodies have been recovered from the water” after 2 days of dive operations, the RBDF said.

The incident unfolded Saturday when the ship carrying the Haitians sank near Fowl Cay, 10 kilometers (6 miles) off the coast of Marsh Harbour, Abaco.

Fifteen survivors and 13 dead bodies were recovered Saturday in a joint mission between the RBDF and US Coast Guard. On Sunday, 2 more survivors were found alive on a nearby cay in addition to 15 bodies in the sunken vessel.

In a tweet, the US embassy in Haiti described the ship as a vessel trafficking people out of Haiti, adding: “No journey is worth risking lives – please urge families and communities: Illegal migrant & smuggling operations are dangerous and frequently end in tragedy.”

Another tragic loss of life, as 17 Haitians drown and 30 more just rescued from a vessel trafficking people out of Haiti. No journey is worth risking lives – please urge families and communities: Illegal migrant & smuggling operations are dangerous and frequently end in tragedy. pic.twitter.com/3DHH29z976

— U.S. Embassy Haiti (@USEmbassyHaiti) February 3, 2019

The RBDF added that this year alone, some 300 Haitians had been apprehended for entry without documents during 4 separate incidents.

In recent years, thousands of young Haitians have migrated to Chile or Brazil, countries where visas are more easily obtained.

Although Haitians historically have gone to the United States, mainly in the state of Florida, the flow of migrants has shifted to Canada and other neighboring countries.

Since a devastating earthquake in 2010, about 60,000 Haitians have found temporary protected status in the U.S. In 2017, US President Donald Trump’s administration announced it was terminating the programme but the decision has been challenged in several court cases.