The UN agency for refugees expressed his concern about the number of people from Haiti and other Caribbean countries who risk their lives while trying to escape by the sea of difficult life situations in their home country.

"Continuing difficulties in Haiti following January 12, 2010 are leading thousands of Haitians to flee their homeland each year, often in unseaworthy vessels," declared Melissa Fleming, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

US Coast Guard data show that since December over 900 people have been found on boats in rescue or interception operations, including some 652 Haitians, 146 Cubans and 111 people from the Dominican Republic.

Note that in the last 8 days, nearly 100 Haitian migrants were intercepted. Tuesday, July 11 a wooden boat was intercepted off Cistern Cay in the Exumas, with 63 migrants on board of Haitian origin [53 men, 7 women and 3 children]. Wednesday, July 12, the agents of Immigration office of Harbou Marsh were alerted to the landing of Haitians in the sector of Sandy Point and arrested 30 illegal immigrants from Haiti [26 men and 4 women] who reported made the trip from Port-au-Paix (Haiti).

"These events are a reminder of the extremes that people in difficult situations sometimes resort to," declared Fleming. Fleming said "UNHCR is also concerned about countries returning people to Haiti, ignoring an earlier joint appeal by UNHCR and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) asking States not to return Haitians, for humanitarian reasons, without adequate individual protection screening [...] UNHCR continues to advocate for the inclusion of adequate protection safeguards for individuals apprehended at sea, and hopes that such tragedies can be avoided in the future through enhanced international cooperation in the region."

HL/ HaitiLibre