NASSAU – On October 9, eighteen (18) Haitian nationals — twelve (12) males and six (6) females — appeared before Senior Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux in Magistrate’s Court No. 2, where they were convicted of Overstaying, Illegal Landing, and Knowingly Attempting to Mislead an Immigration Officer. The group received fines ranging from $300.00 to $3,000.00 and sentences of four to eighteen months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. All individuals pleaded guilty.
On Tuesday, October 7, sixteen (16) Haitian males and one (1) Trinidadian female were also convicted in the Magistrate’s Court on similar immigration offences. They were fined between $300.00 and $3,000.00 and sentenced to four months to one year at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
All individuals were ordered to be handed over to the Department of Immigration upon payment of fines or completion of their sentences for deportation.
Additionally, between October 3–9, twenty-two (22) foreign nationals were deported from New Providence to their respective home countries by the Deportation and Removal units. This group included:
19 Haitians
1 Cuban
1 Jamaican
1 Spaniard
The Department remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding the laws of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas and continues to encourage members of the public to report suspected immigration violations by contacting the hotline at (242) 604-0249 or (242) 604-0171/2.
