The Royal Bahamas Defense Force spotted a group of 80 migrants, including 18 Cubans, on Elbow Cay on November 23.
The Bahamian Army reported on its social networks that the arrest of the migrants came after investigating a possible sunken ship.
Haiti has the largest number of undocumented immigrantswith 62 people including women, men and minors.
“HMBS Bahamas (patrol vessel) will transport the migrants to Coral Harbor base today, where they will be turned over to the Bahamas Immigration Service for processing,” explains a note posted to Facebook.
At the end of October last year, eight Cuban rafters were arrested in the Bahamas. The HMBS Bahamas, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Alexis Brown, intercepted the Cuban migrants off Cayo Lobos.
“The Cubans, who appeared to be in good health, were handed over to immigration officers for further processing upon arrival. The Royal Bahamas Defense Force remains vigilant and committed to “protecting our heritage,” the official statement concluded.
Every year, hundreds of Cuban migrants are intercepted in the waters of the Bahamas trying to reach the United States by sea. As of October 2022, Bahamian authorities have intercepted 519 Cuban rafters.
The executive branch spent more than $2.3 million on repatriations, according to Bahamas government immigration director Keturah Ferguson migrants, mainly Haitians and Cubans, during 2022.
According to Ferguson, “Repatriation costs about $400 per person to Haiti and $305 per person to Cuba.”
According to migration data, the Bahamas spent $2.2 million on repatriations in 2018, $1.6 million in 2019, $1.3 million in 2020, and $2.4 million in 2021, so the number by the end of this year could be elderly.