42 Haitian migrants detained after illegal landing in Portland, Jamaica

A group of 42 Haitian nationals, including a heavily pregnant woman and six children, have been detained by Jamaican authorities after arriving illegally by boat in Portland over the weekend, police confirmed.

The migrants, who arrived between Saturday night and early Sunday morning, landed at Ross Craig beach in Long Bay aboard a 25-foot makeshift canoe with no engine. Their arrival was spotted by local residents who quickly alerted the authorities.

Members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) responded swiftly, locating the migrants along the beach and nearby roadways. The group, consisting of 29 men, seven women, four boys, and two girls, was taken into custody and transported to the Port Antonio Hospital for medical checks and processing. The pregnant woman was transferred to the maternity ward for further care.

Police suspect the group may be repatriated as early as Monday. The vessel they arrived in was later destroyed by fire under circumstances that are not yet clear.

This latest incident comes amid a growing wave of Haitian migration to Jamaica, particularly through Portland, which has become a frequent entry point for small boats fleeing the deepening humanitarian and political crises in Haiti. The crisis has triggered a mass exodus from the French-speaking Caribbean nation, with hundreds of thousands of Haitians seeking refuge across the region.