Protection for Haitian Refugees
Conditions in Haiti are arguably worse than they’ve been in a long time and there is no hope for improvement in sight. Lawlessness, violence, political persecution and human rights abuses are the norm.
The State Department has said that “there are no safe areas in Haiti.” The head of UN peacekeeping operations said in June that conditions in parts of Haiti are worse than in Darfur. Political violence and oppression that began in earnest with former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s leaving the country in February 2004 has only increased, and will continue to increase as the January 2006 elections draw near. Haiti also remains devastated by the aftermath of two major storms in 2004.
The United States, however, continues to single out Haitian refugees with discriminatory polices that prevent many Haitians from accessing the U.S. asylum system.
The Women's Commission 2003 report, "Refugee Policy Adrift," documented the measures that countries that receive Haitian refugees, including the United States and the Dominican Republic, have adopted to prevent Haitian asylum seekers from accessing asylum procedures.
As documented in the report, in the United States, the White House is the driving force behind a discriminatory policy aimed specifically at Haitian asylum seekers. Several executive agencies, including the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard continue to implement measures that undermine the ability of Haitian asylum seekers to obtain refugee protection.
The Women's Commission is trying to change these policies. Staff met in 2005 with the State Department, the National Security Council and the White House this summer to try to convince the U.S. government to allow Haitians to stay temporarily in the United States until conditions in Haiti improve.
The Women’s Commission has been working for many years to try to change the United States’ treatment of Haitian refugees and asylum seekers, to ensure that their basic right to asylum is respected and that they are not detained unnecessarily for long periods of time while their case is being processed – particularly children and caregivers.
A bill in the U.S. House of Representatives by Alcee Hastings (D-FL) would allow Haitians to stay temporarily in the United States. The “Haiti Compassion Act”, H.R. 2592, would allow Haitians in the United States who have not been found by the government to be refugees, but are “nonetheless fleeing or reluctant to return to politically dangerous situations” to be granted Temporary Protected Status and remain in the United States for 18 months.
Take Action! To urge your Congressperson to support The Haiti Compassion Act, please click here.
To read about the Women's Commission work on Haiti, including reports, press releases and advocacy work, please click here.
© Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, 2003-04The Women's Commission is an independent affiliate of the International Rescue Committee122 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10168. • Tel. (212) 551-3000 • webmaster@womenscommission.org
