On Saturday July 1st, 2023, a joint operation between the "Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force Marine Branch" and the "Royal Bahamas Defense Force" (RBDF) made it possible to intercept off Turcocaica, a 40-foot wooden boat (12.1 meters), dangerously overloaded with 190 Haitian migrants on board (141 men, including a minor and 49 women)

The migrants were arrested and handed over to the Turkish Islands immigration authorities for processing and repatriation.

Police officer Trevor Botting clarified that this operation was carried out as part of the "ShipRider" agreement signed by the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2022.

He pointed out that the Northern Caribbean region is experiencing a significant increase in the number of boats carrying illegal migrants trying to illegally access the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas "So far in 2023, 21 vessels have been intercepted by the RTCIPF Marine Branch with over 2600 migrants being detained. The number of vessels and persons detained exceeds all previous year’s totals and we are just 6 months..."

He also added that all agencies in the Turks Islands remained committed to addressing the current threats of irregular migration, recalling that due to its proximity, including to the United States, and its standard of living, the archipelago of the Turks and Caicos Islands was a destination of choice for many Haitians in search of a better life.

S/ iciHaiti