Jamaica repatriates 35 Haitian boat people

Jamaican authorities have promptly repatriated a group of 35 Haitian boat people who landed in the country at the weekend seeking a better life after fleeing their violence-prone country in a rickety sail boat, prompting human rights advocates to accuse the government of breaching international law.

The group of 35 who were placed on a defense force vessel and forced to set sail to Haiti late Monday represents the second batch of economic migrants or boat people who have been forcibly deported without an asylum hearing and some local attorneys are warning that Jamaica could be sanctioned for this. Jamaica is 334 miles by air from Haiti. The group comprised 27 adult males, three females and five children.

The Gleaner newspaper reports that this is the third set of boat people to have arrived in Jamaica this year, taking the highly dangerous sea journey in an open sailboat, braving sweltering heat in more than a week of travel to the island, arriving in the southeastern Portland district on Sunday. The first set arrived in July and were able to apply for asylum before authorities had pounced on them and prepared them for repatriation, while the second was not so lucky as they were sent packing in September, a few days after beaching on the southeastern coast.

The publication quoted rights lawyer Malene Alleyne as accusing the Andrew Holness administration of breaching international law by denying them an asylum hearing. “Jamaican authorities have put the world on notice that they will willfully violate international law with no remorse. I do not recognize my country. The forced return of Haitian refugees without due process is disgraceful, savage, and totally barbaric,” she said, complaining that security officials had deliberately ignored her efforts to represent the group.

Police had said that they became concerned after it was discovered that two of the latest arrivals had been in the September batch that had been quickly deported as they were concerned that borders were easily being breached.

Jamaica, The Bahamas, Guyana, Antigua and a few other CARICOM bloc member nations have already pledged to send security boots on the ground as part of a United Nations-supported multinational security force being prepared to head to Haiti to assist local police in beating back marauding gangs terrorizing the country.