MIAMI — The capsizing of a boat near the Bahamas on Sunday that killed at least 17 people — suspected to be Haitian nationals trying to land in Miami — underscores the dangers that migrants on illicit sea voyages face trying to reach American shores.
The trips “are inherently dangerous. A lot of these ventures don’t have safety equipment, are not prepared for the sea or the weather,” said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Ryan Estrada.
Over the last year, the U.S. Coast Guard has intercepted a record number of Haitian migrants trying to reach the United States. Since Oct. 1, the agency had intercepted 6,009 Haitian migrants, according to government data from last month. That’s a nearly 300% increase from the previous fiscal year, and a 1,440% increase from the 2020 fiscal year.
The migrant voyages often take place in makeshift, often overloaded boats made from lumber, Styrofoam, plexiglass or whatever materials are available, according to authorities. But regardless of the materials, Estrada emphasized to the Miami Herald on Sunday that the trips are dangerous and the boats are not seaworthy.
A shift in weight or rough seas can turn a trip deadly. In “yolas,” as rickety migrant vessels are called in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, the engines used are often small to reduce the noise and chance of detection, authorities have previously told the Miami Herald. But it means the trips are longer, creating more opportunities for things to go wrong. And the motors can break down, leaving passengers adrift at the mercy of the ocean.
But the trip’s perils haven’t stopped Haitian migrants, who are fleeing the Caribbean country following the assassination of its president last July, a major earthquake last August, a rise in kidnappings and gang violence.
Fifteen women, one man and one child were among the dead, Bahamian authorities said during a press conference on Sunday afternoon. Between eight and 15 people could still be missing in the water.
Along with Florida, Puerto Rico — which neighbors Hispaniola, the island shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti — has also seen a dramatic increase of Haitians attempting to land on its shores. As of data from June 10, U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the U.S. territory had intercepted 843 Haitian nationals since October. Authorities patrol the Mona Passage, the treacherous strait that separates the two islands, by sea and by air.
U.S. authorities have also seen an uptick in Cuban migrants taking to sea since October. The U.S. Coast Guard has intercepted 3,470 Cubans during that time period, compared to about 838 in the last fiscal year. It’s the highest number of Cubans intercepted at sea since fiscal year 2016, when the agency interdicted 5,396 Cubans, according to U.S. Coast Guard numbers.
During Sunday’s incident, the U.S. Coast Guard provided air support and flew over the area looking for people in distress. Estrada, the Coast Guard spokesman, said families in the United States should not encourage or ask relatives in their countries of origin to undertake these illicit voyages.
“It’s very unsafe, and typically it doesn’t end well. They are either interdicted and sent back to their country of origin or something catastrophic can happen. A vessel can capsize and lives can be lost,” he said.
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