Wednesday Lener Renauld, the Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs asked to the Organization of American States (OAS), the intervention of the International Community on the issue of repatriations of Haitians living in an irregular migratory situation, by the Dominican Republic, to prevent a humanitarian crisis.

"Haiti comes towards the Americas to urge the Dominican Republic to see reason. Haiti come protest against the treatment of its nationals in the Dominican Republic [...] I came to encourage the Dominican Republic to say no to the division of families [...] Haiti asks to be respected the rights of their compatriots living in the Dominican Republic," insisting that "we are all concerned to avoid the mass deportations that will lead to the division of nuclear families."

In his speech to the OAS he said "we continue to insist on negotiations to find a solution because we want to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe that would be caused by the deportations in our country. We are ready to receive people of Haitian descent living in an irregular situation from all parts of the world. However, the national migration plan which takes place in the Dominican Republic creates a situation of statelessness, that all national and regional communities fear for many years."

Stressing that the Government of Haiti was concerned to protect the rights of its citizens, he stressed that there was "a great risk that Haiti is found with thousands of people denationalised. The Haitian government wants to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe [...] Haiti speaks with one voice, that of solidarity with our compatriots whose only fault is to want to work [...]"

The Organization of American States (OAS) will send between 10 and 14 July a mission in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The OAS delegation will be led by Secretary of Political Affairs of the OAS, Francisco Guerrero, who will be accompanied by Gabriel Bidegain, Advisor to the Secretary General, Luis Almagro. This mission, announced by Almagro in a special Permanent Council last week, will begin next Friday in Santo Domingo and will end Tuesday in Port-au-Prince "The goal is to assess on the ground the migratory situation of Haitians for facilitating a lasting solution, to regularize the situation, because we can not forget that these immigrants regardless of their legal status, have the same rights that all people," explained Almagro.

Note that since June 18 last after the closing of the Regularization of foreigners Plan, over 40,000 Haitians have already returned to the country voluntarily.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14453-haiti-migration-crisis-mobile-units-to-normalize-the-situation-of-haitian-agricultural-workers.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14403-haiti-flash-d-3-already-more-than-31-275-voluntary-returns.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-14279-icihaiti-repatriation-the-minustah-calls-for-the-respect-of-human-dignity.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14272-haiti-repatriations-first-meeting-of-the-joint-committee-of-national-solidarity.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14249-haiti-politic-repatriation-prime-minister-launched-the-national-patriotic-dialogue.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14248-haiti-social-our-compatriots-have-deserted-the-streets.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14234-haiti-flash-dominican-details-of-the-repatriation-process.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14115-haiti-dominican-republic-andres-navarro-denies-the-statements-of-the-haitian-chancellor.html

HL/ S/ HaitiLibre