The 62 Haitians who travelled to Jamaica in hopes of finding refuge have been sent back to their earthquake ravaged country.
After being allowed to stay in Jamaica for a week, they were given additional medical treatment and placed on a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard vessel accompanied by soldiers and police on Monday night to return home.
Also on the boat to Haiti were a 16-year-old boy, who entered the island illegally last month and four Haitian men who had been in jail.
And law enforcement officials, recognising that more Haitians may try to get into Jamaica, say they will be carrying out regular sea patrols.
"Our waters are always being patrolled but our borders are porous and they can come anywhere, but we continue to patrol the waters with the JDF Coast Guard and the Marine Police," said head of the Constabulary Communication Network, Inspector Steve Brown.
Information Minister Daryl Vaz had indicated a few days after the Haitians arrived on two boats that the J$9 million (US$101,123) per week bill to accommodate them was too much for the country to foot at this time.
But the Haiti-Jamaica Association has described the repatriation of those Haitians as “a very tragic situation”.
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