UNITED NATIONS, (AP) In the midst of outrage over U.S. treatment for Haitian asylum-seekers on Saturday, the embattled prime Minister of the island nation pointedly stated that conflict and inequalities drive migration. He did not criticize Washington on the matter.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry stated that we do not want to contest the sovereign state's right to control entry into its territory or send back those who have entered illegally to their country.
He said that human beings, including fathers and mothers with children, will always flee poverty or conflict. He urged the international community not to delay in improving living conditions in countries where refugees have fled for political or economic reasons.
He said that migration will continue for as long as there are both rich and poor areas on the planet, while most of the world's population lives in poverty or extreme poverty without any hope of better living conditions.
Henry spoke in the midst of turmoil in his country, which has been rocked by the assassination of its president, an earthquake, and the current migration crisis. His government is in turmoil as a result of the Nov. 7 presidential and legislative elections.
In recent months, thousands of Haitians fled to the U.S. south border because they were confused about U.S. immigration policies. In Del Rio, Texas, a large migrant camp, largely composed of Haitians, grew. It reached its peak last week with over 14,000 people trying to enter the U.S.
Images showing U.S. border agents using horses to move migrants were a source of outrage and led to the resignation of the U.S. special representative to Haiti and an ongoing investigation. The agents' actions were called dangerous, unacceptable and a violation of the Constitution by President Joe Biden.
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The camp is now cleared. Some people were deported. Around 12,400 migrants were allowed to enter the U.S. temporarily to pursue their claims for stay, Alejandro Mayorkas, Homeland Security Secretary, said.
Henry acknowledged that the images were shocking to many, but didn't go into detail about the United States' response. However, he noted that many countries today are successful because of successive waves and refugee flows.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. It has been struggling with political instability, violence and environmental crises for a long time.
This summer has been particularly difficult for the Caribbean island nation, as it is also fighting the coronavirus epidemic. Only 1 in 100 people have received at least one vaccine.
July 7th was the date President Jovenel Moses was assassinated. A little over a month later, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, killing more than 2,200 people and injuring over 12,000 others. It also destroyed almost 53,000 homes. Henry stated that nearly 350 people remain missing.
Haiti's former chief prosecutor requested that a judge indict Henry in the assassination of Moses. According to the prosecutor, the prime minister spoke with a key suspect twice within hours of the murder; Henry's office claims he received many calls but didn't answer them all.
Henry fired the justice minister and the prosecutor last week. Another high-ranking official quit last week, accusing the prime minster of trying to obstruct justice. Henry stated to the General Assembly that he was determined to bring the perpetrators to justice and asked for mutual legal aid.
More than 40 suspects were arrested, which includes 18 ex-soldiers from Colombia. Bogot claimed that most of them were fooled and did not know the true nature of an operation in Florida or Haiti.
Mose was subject to protests regarding his leadership and tenure. His term ended legally in February, but he and the opposition leaders disagreed. Henry was his choice to be the prime minister. However, Henry did not take office until after the death of the president.
Saturday's statement by Henry stated that he was determined to restore the country's normal functioning of democratic institutions, and to hold credible, transparent, and inclusive general elections as quickly as possible.
Some politicians align themselves with Henry ahead of the vote. Others are breaking away.
