Deportations of illegal Central Americans continue

They celebrated New Year’s behind bars, but come next week the first set of illegal immigrants for 2003 will be sent home. The prisoners, who number around thirty, hail mainly from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. The Ministry of Home Affairs has submitted an order to vary their sentences, enabling the Minister of Immigration to formalize their deportation. This follows the conviction and sentencing by a Magistrate for the crime of illegal entry. The orders apply only to those who have committed immigration offences and have no other criminal actions pending. Authorities have concluded that it is much cheaper to buy a one-way plane ticket than to support an inmate in Hattieville for six months. The deportations also ease the chronic overcrowding at the prison.