{"source_url": "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com", "url": "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/haitians-rescued-in-jamaican-waters-back-home_183467?profile=1373", "title": "Haitians rescued in Jamaican waters back home", "top_image": "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20200101/ARTICLE/301019981/AR/0/AR-301019981.jpg", "meta_img": "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20200101/ARTICLE/301019981/AR/0/AR-301019981.jpg", "images": ["http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/2014/jol_logo.jpg", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/2014/Logo_overlay.png", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20200101/ARTICLE/191239933/AR/0/AR-191239933.jpg&maxw=303&maxh=230", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20200101/ARTICLE/301019981/AR/0/AR-301019981.jpg", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/2014/rss_icon.png", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/printer_16x16.png", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/livestream2.jpg", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20200101/ARTICLE/301019981/AR/0/AR-301019981.jpg&maxh=332&maxw=504", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/email_16x16.png", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/2014/social_icons.png", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/2014/line_story.png"], "movies": [], "text": "THE four Haitians who were rescued in Portland waters in late November are now safely back in their country, after an unexpected drama-filled expedition.\n\nThe men arrived at St Margaret's Bay in the vicinity of the Rio Grande bridge in Portland on November 27, after their disabled vessel was spotted by Jamaican fisherfolk who assisted them to shore.\n\nThey were subsequently handed over to the Portland police and then processed by the health department and immigration representatives.\n\nHead of the Portland police Superintendent Duane Wellington told the Jamaica Observer yesterday that the men, when they appeared before the Portland Parish Court on December 6, had the charges of illegal entry against them withdrawn and they were handed over to authorities from the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) in Kingston, based on new information.\n\nPICA head Andrew Wynter said information from the men's homeland significantly impacted their status and saved them from being sent back to Haiti as deportees.\n\n\u201cWe put them on a flight and they are now back in Haiti. Two left on the 27th of December and two left on the 29th,\u201d Wynter told the Observer when contacted yesterday.\n\nInitially, authorities had charged the men with illegal entry and had intended to deport them following the court proceedings.\n\n\u201cBecause they were considered rescued at sea, you wouldn't deport those persons. It wouldn't be considered a deportation under the circumstances,\u201d Wynter explained.\n\n\u201cIt wasn't an illegal entry into the country. What happened is they were fishing, and apparently their boat got into mechanical difficulties and they drifted for a few days and ended up in Jamaican waters. Our coast guard had actually got a request from the Haitian coast guard to assist with search and rescue, so when they were initially taken into custody we didn't have that information; but after we got it, their status changed because we saw that it was a genuine case of persons in dire need,\u201d the PICA head explained further.\n\nThe men, natives of J\u00e9r\u00e9mie (a town in south-west Haiti), through an interpreter, told rescuers that they had been at sea for 16 days drifting aimlessly after developing engine problems and running out of fuel.\n\nTheir small vessel carrying rotting fish and fishing gear, drifted into the waters of St Margaret's Bay, Portland, where they were found.", "keywords": [], "meta_keywords": ["General NewsInternationalLocal NewsToday's Headlines"], "tags": [], "authors": ["Jamaica Observer Limited"], "publish_date": null, "summary": "", "article_html": "", "meta_description": "THE four Haitians who were rescued in Portland waters in late November are now safely back in the...", "meta_lang": "", "meta_favicon": "/images/favicon.ico", "meta_data": {"alexaVerifyID": "rSmiGOPEjbvIe54g6VDdjp7fxDQ", "google-site-verification": "yGWL0JARPWTYZuQO6SyybESnW5Tn5sn_mj5vRQhwZq8", "y_key": "b1206159d404874b", "msvalidate.01": "F356DE1E2BCA8CFA747B5120592BE455", "description": "THE four Haitians who were rescued in Portland waters in late November are now safely back in the...", "keywords": "General NewsInternationalLocal NewsToday's Headlines", "og": {"title": "Haitians rescued in Jamaican waters back home", "site_name": "Jamaica Observer", "image": "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20200101/ARTICLE/301019981/AR/0/AR-301019981.jpg"}, "revisit-after": "1 days", "Author": "Jamaica Observer Limited", "DC.Subject": "Jamaica, Observer", "DC.Title": "Jamaica Observer Limited", "ROBOTS": "Follow,Index", "rating": "GENERAL", "twitter": {"card": "summary_large_image", "site": "@JamaicaObserver", "creator": "@JamaicaObserver", "title": "Haitians rescued in Jamaican waters back home", "description": "THE four Haitians who were rescued in Portland waters in late November are now safely back in the...", "image": "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20200101/ARTICLE/301019981/AR/0/AR-301019981.jpg"}}, "canonical_link": ""}