Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NASSAU350
2006-03-01 16:07:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Nassau
Cable title:  

FAVORABLE WEATHER BRINGS SECOND HAITIAN MIGRATION

Tags:  SMIG PREF PREL HA BF 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS NASSAU 000350 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR WBENT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SMIG PREF PREL HA BF
SUBJECT: FAVORABLE WEATHER BRINGS SECOND HAITIAN MIGRATION
SURGE IN FOUR MONTHS

REF: 05 NASSAU 1996

UNCLAS NASSAU 000350

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR WBENT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SMIG PREF PREL HA BF
SUBJECT: FAVORABLE WEATHER BRINGS SECOND HAITIAN MIGRATION
SURGE IN FOUR MONTHS

REF: 05 NASSAU 1996


1. (U) The Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) and Bahamian
immigration officials intercepted 568 Haitian migrants in
eight separate February interdictions. All but 39 were
discovered in the Bahamas' Exuma Islands in the Central
Bahamas, several days journey from Haiti and well north of
the Windward Passage where most are typically intercepted by
the U.S. Coast Guard. All but 41 of the migrants were taken
between February 20-23.


2. (U) This surge created pressure on an already overcrowded
Carmichael Road Immigrant Detention Center, which held more
than 800 migrants on February 22 despite a stated maximum
capacity of only 500. To ease crowding, the Ministry of
Housing erected temporary housing while immigration officials
worked to quickly repatriate over 600 migrants in a three day
period from February 22-25.


3. (U) While Deputy Prime Minister Pratt expressed concern
regarding the timing of the surge in the aftermath of Haitian
elections on February 7, The Bahamas Department of
Immigration, RBDF, the Haitian embassy and the U.S. Coast
Guard have each suggested that the surge was likely caused by
favorable weather conditions, including southeasterly winds,
rather than political conditions in Haiti. Supporting that
assessment, high seas beginning February 25 have halted the
surge, at least temporarily.


4. (SBU) COMMENT: Coming in the midst of the ongoing
controversy over two Cuban migrants, there has been unfounded
public speculation that the U.S. Coast Guard has scaled back
its patrols of the migrant routes to register displeasure
with the Bahamian Government. In fact, there was a similar
surge of 656 interdictions in November 2005 during a similar
period of favorable sea conditions (reftel). Neither surge
approaches the levels of the early 1990's, but on both
occasions, a relatively commonplace event -- good weather --
completely overwhelmed the detention center's capacity and
necessitated the use of temporary measures to house the
refugees. We continue to encourage The Bahamas to improve
capacity at the Detention Center to better meet the
humanitarian needs of migrants, especially during these
regular surges in migration. END COMMENT.
HARDT