On December 18, the United Nations celebrated International Migrants Day, a day to shine a spotlight on the invaluable contributions of millions of migrants around the world.
This year, we elevate the needs of Haitian immigrants who have fled the dire circumstances in their homeland.
Haiti is now ranked 20th most dangerous country in the world. Haiti's current situation is so perilous that United States airlines are banned from flying to and from Haiti through 2025. A new report by the Institute for Justice and Democracy (IJDH) in Haiti, Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Haiti, tells that the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) is participating in the same patterns of government corruption, chronic impunity, and use of armed groups as tools for political violence that precipitated Haiti’s current crisis to begin with. Meanwhile, conflict against the armed gangs have not been decisive, 40 percent of the population lives in extreme poverty, 5.4 million people are acutely food insecure, 700,000 people are internally displaced, kidnappings and use of sexual violence remain rampant, and Haiti’s justice sector remains virtually non-functional.
Against this backdrop, the incoming U.S. presidential administration has vowed to resume deportations of Haitian immigrants. President Biden has one month left of authority as of Friday, December 20, and can take immediate steps to extend protections against deportation to Haitians and work to build up safety in Haiti so that Haitians need not flee.
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns recently joined a letter with over thirty other faith and civil society members to President Biden and Vice President Harris asking for a renewal of Temporary Protective Status, as well as further ending the flow of weapons to Haiti, taking stands against human rights violators with targeted sanctions, and lift up local development in Haiti.
Take a moment to write to President Biden and Vice President Harris to highlight the needs of Haitians.
Photo of cover from the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti report.