US deports 50 migrants to violence-gripped Haiti

Port au Prince: The United States on Thursday deported more than 50 Haitian migrants, US and Haitian officials said, sending them back to a country wh...

Port-au-Prince: The United States on Thursday deported more than 50 Haitian migrants, US and Haitian officials said, sending them back to a country which has been beset by spiraling gang violence in recent weeks.

In total, 52 Haitians landed at the airport in the city of Cap-Haitien Thursday, a Haitian immigration official told AFP.

The repatriation flight was announced by a spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security.

"US policy is to return noncitizens who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States," the spokesperson said.

Since the end of February, powerful gangs have teamed up to launch a coordinated offensive across the Caribbean nation, attacking police stations, prisons and the airport, leading to the resignation of prime minister Ariel Henry.