Two Haitians file asylum requests as several held in Portland
Published:Thursday | May 23, 2024 | 12:12 AMGareth Davis Sr/Gleaner Writer
DOLPHIN BAY, Portland:
Asylum requests have reportedly been made for two women who were among a group of Haitians who were intercepted along the Dolphin Bay main road in Portland on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the Portland police apprehended about 16 Haitians, including a pregnant woman and some children, who were travelling to an undisclosed location aboard a black Nissan Serena minibus, which had sustained a punctured tyre.
The police were alerted to the presence of a strange vehicle transporting women and children by passers-by.
Upon their arrival, they detained the Haitians and also arrested a man, who is believed to be part of the scheme to transport the Haitians out of Portland. Another man, who is believed to be the driver of the minibus and who had gone to change the punctured tyre, is now on the run.
Malene Alleyne, head of the lobby Freedom Imaginaries, revealed that asylum requests were presented for two of the women.
She urged authorities to allow the detained Haitians to communicate with their lawyers, noting that this is a constitutionally mandated obligation that does not conflict with law- enforcement objectives.
“We are still waiting on authorisation with respect to the earlier group that was apprehended on May 20,” she said.
“This practice of denying Haitian persons in Jamaica access to counsel must end. We understand that law enforcement authorities must do their work. Lawyers were not allowed to speak with them when they went to the police station on that date (Monday). Freedom Imaginaries has presented a request for asylum for the two women in the group, one of whom has a baby,” she added.
The Haitians detained on Wednesday are believed to be members of a group that landed at a beach in Hectors River on May 20 but managed to flee their sailboat and filter into nearby communities.
On Monday, the police managed to apprehend eight Haitian men at separate locations in Hectors River during a pre-dawn operation.
It is believed that as many as 40 Haitians may have landed at the Under the Rock beach complex on Monday before abandoning their 20-foot vessel, leaving behind items of clothing.