The Immigration Department is tight-lipped on the status of the illegal immigrants detained near Virgin Gorda on September 8, 2016. Photo: VINO/File

Acting Chief Immigration Officer Mrs Geraldine Ritter-Freeman told this news site she could not disclose any information on the illegal immigrants detained due to the sensitive nature of the case. Photo: GIS

Persons claiming to be relatives of the Cubans detained have been contacting this news site for information and have been expressing concern for their welfare.

Officers of the Royal Virgin Police Force Marine Branch, with the assistance of the Immigration Department, detained the immigrants who were at the time onboard a fiberglass motor vessel close to Virgin Gorda around 7:00 P.M.

“Acting on information received, Police boat, the St Ursula, was out at sea at the time the vessel was spotted close to Round Rock,” Police had stated via a press release on September 9, 2016.

Police said of the 20, 17 were males and all but three were Cubans. The other three were Haitians.

The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) had said the illegal immigrants were handed over to Immigration Department for processing.

In response to the concerns expressed by persons claiming to be relatives, we sought an update from the Acting Chief Immigration Officer Mrs Geraldine Ritter-Freeman.

“Thank you for bringing the matter of the emails to my attention. However, given the sensitive nature of the case, I cannot disclose such information at this time,” Mrs Ritter-Freeman responded via email this afternoon, September 14, 2016.

Sources had informed this news site that the illegal immigrants included a child and young adults and that they were reportedly seeking to disembark on the sister island of Virgin Gorda.