Following the capsize of a Haitian sloop on Christmas day, (Wednesday, December 25, 2013) in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), the Ministry of Border Control and Labour has confirmed to RTC News that 31 of the survivors who were detained have been questioned by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) were repatriated to Haiti on 1 January 2014.
The 32nd member of this group is assisting the RTCIPF with their inquiries and will be released back into the custody of immigration officials today. He will be repatriated in due course.
The Coroner is still holding the bodies of the 17 Haitians who perished.
The TCI Government is in discussions with the local Haitian Consulate who will determine what will happen to these remains when they are released to them. One option is for the remains to be repatriated with the costs of this effort being met by the Haitian authorities, although this is has not yet to been confirmed to RTC News.
