TEHRAN, September 20 (MNA) – The United States forcibly flew out hundreds of mostly Haitian migrants on the border between Texas and Mexico and plans to expel about 12,000 more over the next week.

On Sunday, more than 320 migrants who had been living in a camp – under a bridge that connects Del Rio, Texas with Ciudad Acuna, Mexico – arrived in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince on three flights, Al-Jazeera reported.

US authorities said the flights included some of the 3,300 migrants moved from under the bridge since Friday, and the government aims to “quickly” process 12,662 others living in the camp over the next seven days.

Authorities have allowed some to seek asylum, but swiftly expelled others under a controversial public health rule.

Haitian authorities said six more flights were expected on Tuesday.

Many of the migrants who gathered under the bridge fled in the wake of the 2010 earthquake that devastated the Caribbean nation, often first heading to Chile or Brazil.

ZZ/PR