POLICE Commissioner Clayton Fernander made a strong appeal yesterday for family members of deceased victims from Sunday's boating tragedy to come forward to assist with the identification process, saying they need not fear any arrest or deportation from the police.

“We have not identified any of the victims of the deceased persons as yet,” Mr Fernander said yesterday.

“We have in our possession only two identifications that was found on persons of two of the individuals. So, we are appealing especially to the Haitian community to please assist us in trying to identify any family members.”

Seventeen Haitians, including a young girl, were found dead on Sunday after their boat capsized near Blackbeard’s Cay.

“We note that most of the victims were female who died and it is believed that based on our investigation, the cabin which was to the front of the boat, all of the females were crammed in that area and then when the vessel overturned, they were trapped in there so they couldn’t move and couldn’t get up so they perished and it’s so sad,” the commissioner said.

According to Mr Fernander, many of the survivors were staying in New Providence for some time, while some had travelled from the Family Islands and others from Haiti.

“What I can say to you based on our investigation is that the majority of the victims, they were staying here in New Providence for a while and when I say a wild guess, I would say over a month,” he added.

“Some of them have been from various Family Islands and we have identified at-least three of them who came by plane from Haiti about two weeks ago.”

He also said police continue to seek those responsible for harbouring foreigners who enter the country illegally.

“We know that there have to be some safe houses,” he said. “People who are harbouring them and have them secured until the timing is right for them to move out and the press conference on Sunday past, you would see the Defence Force in our marine, we will continue to work closely and it is happening right in out harbour so we have to step up our games in terms of not only stopping search on land, but you’re looking on sea.”

On Tuesday, Labour and Immigration Minister Keith Bell told reporters that only two Haitian survivors in custody had work permits to be in the country, which he said will likely be revoked.

He also revealed work permit holders along with those in custody are expected to be repatriated once investigations are completed.

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