Twenty-seven illegal migrants found on Peter Island during a two-day search beginning on March 18 have been repatriated to their home countries, according to police.
Officers initially found 11 people hiding in the brush on Peter Island, according to a police press release. An additional 12 migrants were found that afternoon in the area of the island’s White Bay, and four more were detained the following day.
Of the 27 individuals, one was Dominican, two were from Cuba, and the rest were Haitians, police said.
Most of the migrants left the territory last Thursday, and the two Cubans left Saturday, according to Chief Immigration Officer Dennis Jennings.
“We had to arrange all the flights, and we got a charter flight to get the bulk of them back to Haiti,” he said. “Everything went well, but it was costly. That’s the only problem with that.”
Mr. Jennings added that such incidents, especially involving so many people, can also be costly in terms of man hours spent in searches, and during the repatriation process. But it’s a necessary cost, he said.
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