A security package to guard the borders of the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British Overseas Territory, has been agreed to by Britain, it said yesterday, in reaction to the possibility that unrest in Haiti may spread.
200 miles (322 km) separate Haiti, the political and socioeconomic crisis-ridden country where weeks of rising violence and highly armed gangs have taken hold, from the Turks and Caicos Islands.
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The shipment, according to the British Foreign Office, was made to “respond to the risk of gang violence and illegal migration from Haiti spilling over into the wider Caribbean”.
Britain said that it will provide border security enhancements, coastline sensors, and equipment for the local police to tackle severe crime, including surveillance drones. In addition, Britain would procure marine patrol boats to dispatch to the islands.
David Cameron, the foreign secretary, stated in a statement, “The safety and security of people in the Turks and Caicos Islands is vital following the terrible escalation of violence we have seen in Haiti.”
He added, “In addition to our existing support, these measures will help the brave officers of the Royal Turks and Caicos Island Police Force to tackle the threat of illegal migration and gang violence.”
According to the Foreign Office, a reconnaissance team including of British border officers and specialists in international police had also been dispatched to determine what additional assistance the islands needed.
Britain dispatched specialized weapons and detectives to the Turks and Caicos Islands last month in response to reports of an increase in violent crime there. It sent a severe crime squad there in 2022.
“The UK remains committed to supporting a Haitian-led political solution to the escalating violence in the country and the efforts of Caribbean partners to agree a return to security and stability,” the British statement noted.
In the meantime, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a staunch opponent of immigration, announced that state law enforcement would send more than 250 more officers, soldiers, and more than a dozen air and sea vessels to the southern coast. The United States authorities have increased security to assist citizens of the United States in leaving Haiti “to protect our state”.
