Irregular migration statistics concerning; 275 caught over Christmas

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, January 15, 2023 – Concerning statistics about the continued irregular migration risk to Turks and Caicos, in particular from Haiti were revealed in an early 2023 Instagram post by Governor Nigel Dakin, a stark reminder that the fight is not over.

In just nine days, from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day authorities intercepted 275 irregular migrants on three vessels, whether this included the empty vessel found by police.

“If we had missed those three vessels our population would have grown, in just nine days, by 0.55%.” Dakin said. It’s a frighteningly large number for an island of less than 50 thousand people. Dakin explained what it would look like if migration at this rate occurred in the US or UK.

“This is, pro-rata, the equivalent of 360,000 crossing the English Channel, or 1.6 million attempting to cross the US’s southern border, over nine days.”  He said stressing that while it wasn’t deliberate, and no ill will was involved Haiti “bears down on TCI— they are 11 million and we are 50,000: 220 times our size.”

While praising the police for their increased ability to tackle migrant boats some still succeeded in their quests, to the detriment of the TCI.

“Some fast boats get past our defenses, and they come at us, not just from Haiti.  They bring drugs, criminals and military grade weapons onto these Islands as well as small numbers of people smuggled for significant profit.”

Citing Haiti’s size advantage and the TCIs finite resources he maintained that the only way to stop illegal migration in its tracks is to ‘go after the networks that profit from this transnational trade as well as the vessels.’

Dakin made the statement just over a week after a commercial carrier tried to smuggle 95 migrants into the country in a brazen attempt foiled by a determined citizen; and in another incident a police officer was arrested for harboring illegal immigrants.

This push to go after the big fish comes as Dakin is on his way out as Governor and Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, a lawyer with decades of experience in the legal system is ushered in with backup promised from the UK’s National Crime Agency.