Lawyer bats for Haitians who landed in Portland

Lobby group Freedom Imaginaries has moved to provide legal representation to the eight Haitians who are in custody after landing in Hectors River, Portland on Sunday.

The eight are believed to be among a group which landed illegally at a beach in the area.

They were picked up at separate locations in the Hectors River area during a pre-dawn operation by the police.

Head of the organisation Malene Alleyne says she was informed that the Haitians were being processed at the Port Antonio Police Station by the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA).

“I was told that there are two others who are still at the Port Antonio Hospital and I have requested to have access to them to provide them legal assistance," she said.

"And I was told that PICA is in the process of screening them and that I would have to wait until that process is over. And so what I take from that is the statement that they are not allowed legal representation at this point. I have to wait for PICA to finish," she added.

Alleyne argued that the issue of access to legal representation for Haitians who land in Jamaica needs to be addressed.

“The United Nations Refugee Agency is so alarmed at what is happening in Haiti that it has not only issued a call for a moratorium on forced returns, but it has issued detailed guidance on what the situation is in Haiti and how states are to respond to Haitians. And the UN [United Nations] is very clear that there is to be a halt on forced returns of Haitian nationals to Haiti at this time, even if they don't meet the definition of refugee,” she argued.

On Monday, a team from the local health authorities carried out fogging of the sail boat of the Haitians and discovered items of clothing belonging to women and children.

The discovery, which was deemed valuable evidence, has since raised questions among public officials as the eight Haitians who are in custody are men.

It is against that background that the police have intensified their search for more possible Haitians who might have received help from local sympathisers.

There have been claims that between 35 and 40 Haitians may have landed on the beach in Hectors River with the majority of them at large.

Between last year and so far this year, approximately 127 Haitians have landed in Portland, with only one group, comprising 37, afforded a stay at Robin's Bay in St Mary.

However, that group's application for asylum was denied by government in February.

- Gareth Davis Snr

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