Two UN agencies voiced concerns on Tuesday about the return of Haitian migrants from the US-Mexico border back to Haiti before those migrants are able to assert asylum claims.
The concern arose after flights began over the weekend carrying Haitian refugees back to Port-au-Prince from Texas, where thousands of migrants had gathered in recent weeks, fleeing natural disasters in the island nation, which has also been rocked by a political crisis following the assassination of its president. Marta Hurtado, spokesperson for the UN human rights agency (OHCHR), said that the agency was “disturbed by the images we have seen” of Haitians being rounded up and transported back to Haiti. She noted that OHCHR has concerns that those who have been deported have not been afforded any sort of individual assessment to determine their asylum status. The agency fears that “some of these people have not received that protection that they needed.”
Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said on Tuesday that he “was shocked by images of the deplorable conditions” the Haitians suffered in Texas, and that the “mass expulsions of individuals . . . is inconsistent with international norms.” The deportations without any screening for their protection may constitute forced returns, which is in contravention of international law. Grandi called on the US to lift the immigration restrictions that have been in place since March 2020. Those restrictions were put in place due to public health concerns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The agencies’ concerns come at the same time as UNHCR welcomed news of President Biden’s proposal to raise the refugee target to 125,000 people this year. That target is more than ten times the cap of 15,000 refugees set by Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump. Spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said that the US plan “reflects the commitment of the US Government and the American people to help ensure that the world’s most vulnerable refugees have a chance to rebuild their lives in safety.” Even with the raise, however, OHCHR noted that the last twenty years have seen the lowest number of refugee resettlements on record.
