Forty-five Haitians will appear before a court next Wednesday in the town of Clarence, Bahamas, accused of illegally entering the Atlantic archipelago after their boat was found by local authorities.
Haitian immigrants were arrested by law enforcement officials on Long Island, according to an immigration statement that a group of 36 men and 9 women were detained by agents from the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) and customs officials.
The events were recorded after his boat arrived in Clarence, Long Island’s capital.
Immigration officials traveled to Long Island to investigate events involving Haitians, which are currently being held at the Clarence Community Center.
According to the statement, all immigrants have received medical attention from the staff of the local Ministry of Health and have reported that they are doing well.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Long Island legislative representative Adrian Gibson said the immigrants’ boat ran aground before dawn on Wednesday.
He said the immigrants had been given masks and that a US Coast Guard helicopter assisted in search and rescue.
According to the statement, the group is expected to appear before the Magistrates Court in Clarence today.
The Atlantic archipelago of the Bahamas has recently seen an exponential increase in the number of immigrants trying to reach the coast irregularly, leading to an increase in arrests in recent months.
A large proportion of the immigrants are Haitian citizens, although there are also people from other countries in the region trying to reach the Bahamas.