Political violence and a culture of reprisals
have forced the internal displacement of politically active members of
Haitian society. Haitians fleeing persecution must hide in their own
country because the U.S. and the Dominican Republic are making it
difficult for them to receive asylum, -or even protection. The
Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares that "everyone has the
right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution,"
yet the U.S. is working hard to block refugees and asylum seekers. In
February, with violence rising in Haiti and the government collapsing,
President Bush said, "We will turn back any refugee that attempts to
reach our shore, and that message needs to be very clear as well to the
Haitian people." U.S. Coast Guard vessels intercept Haitian boats
headed to Florida. Haitians whom U.S. immigration authorities believe
have a credible fear of persecution and have not yet reached the United
States are held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, pending resettlement in
another country. The vast majority of almost 2,000 Haitians who were
interdicted at sea in the first quarter of the year were returned
summarily to Haitian ports with little or no support from local
authorities. [more]
Brooklyn Congressman Condemns Slow Processing Of Haitian Refugee Cases [more]
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