Reuters-Reverse Immigration? Coast Guard Returns 323 Migrants to Haiti

photo courtesy of www.haupinc.org

(story reported by Pascal Fletcher)

MIAMI, Aug 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard repatriated 323 Haitian migrants on Monday after intercepting them aboard two overloaded sailboats in Bahamian waters, northwest of Haiti's northern coast, a Coast Guard officer said.

The operations since Friday were the largest interceptions at sea of would-be migrants from the poor Caribbean state since it was devastated by an earthquake on Jan. 12 that wrecked the capital Port-au-Prince and killed up to 300,000 people.

Attempts by Haitians to reach the United States illegally in small unseaworthy boats had appeared to drop off following the earthquake, both because of the impact of the disaster and because of the presence of U.S. military warships supporting a huge international relief effort during several months.
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