On March 31st, 2019, 15 Haitian migrants were killed off the Turks and Caicos Islands when their boat capsized. There were at least 14 survivors and 4 unaccounted for; the search for survivors is now suspended. The incident is being investigated by authorities to figure out how their boat sunk. Acting Turks and Caicos Police Commissioner Trevor Botting said, “Today, March 31st, 2019 we have seen the heroic efforts of my Police Officers, Immigration Officials, Emergency Medical Response teams and private citizens, after a boat carrying suspected illegal migrants capsized off West Caicos.” He also mentioned it is unclear as to how many people there were in the boat total.

Haitians have been warned by the authorities about making these life-threatening boat trips; 28 Haitians were killed in February when their boat sank nearby the Bahamas. In Haiti, they have been dealing with an increase in gang violence and their deteriorating economy. According to Takara Bain, a spokeswoman with the police of the Turks and Caicos, 14 individuals were rescued before the search-and-rescue operation was suspended late Sunday until daybreak Monday.