151 Boat People From China Expect U.S., Land in Haiti
After being left offshore by a ship, more than 150 boat people from China rowed or swam to Haiti, mistakenly believing it was the United States, a refugee agency official said Monday.
The 151 young men arrived Saturday night near Jacmel, 75 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, said Director Marlene Dorfeuille of the Permanent Haitian Refugee Center.
They apparently left Asia aboard a cargo vessel, which abandoned them offshore, said Dorfeuille.
She said the refugees, who carried no identity documents, will probably be held at a high school until they are deported.
At least 38,000 Haitians have become boat people in recent months, risking their lives at sea in an effort to reach the United States and escape economic devastation and political repression.
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