PORT-AU-PRINCE: Angry scenes broke out at Haiti's main airport on Tuesday among migrants sent home from a squalid Texas border camp, as U.S. President Joe Biden faced mounting pressure to stop an expulsions policy the U.N. refugee chief said may be illegal.
Nearly 10,000 migrants, mainly Haitian, remain in worsening conditions in the impromptu camp that sprang up under a bridge spanning the Rio Grande from the Texas town Del Rio to Mexico's Ciudad Acuna.
In recent days, U.S. authorities have removed at least 4,000 people from the site for processing in detention centers. Some 523 Haitians have been deported to their homeland on four flights, with repatriations set to continue on a regular basis, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said.
Returnees reacted angrily as they stepped off flights at Port-au-Prince airport after spending thousands of dollars on arduous voyages from the troubled Caribbean nation via South America hoping for a better life in the United States.
On Tuesday, they found themselves back where they started.
A group of men in white T-shirts rushed back toward the plane after they disembarked in Port-au-Prince, with one man attempting to get back on board, Reuters witnesses said.
The migrants broke into a restricted area of the airport as they attempted to recover passports and personal belongings, and ground staff closed the door of the plane before the man could scale the steps back into the cabin.
Tempers ran high, exacerbated by news the Haitian government had accepted the deportations.
"I am angry at the government. We were told in prison that the Haitian government had signed to send us back to Haiti. They are all bad people, these authorities," said Yranese Melidor, 45, who arrived on an earlier flight.
The disturbances underscored the instability in the Caribbean nation, the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, where a presidential assassination, rising gang violence and a major earthquake have spread chaos in recent weeks.
Filippo Grandi, the head of the U.N refugee agency, said U.S. expulsions to such a volatile situation might violate international law and could constitute refoulement, or exposing people seeking shelter to life-threatening situations.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also called out Biden, a fellow Democrat, on Tuesday, saying it "defies common sense" to expel the migrants to Haiti and expressing anger over tactics used by border guards to control the crowds at the camp.
Vice President Kamala Harris said the situation was complex and that the United States needed "to do a lot more" to support the basic needs of people in Haiti.
"People want to stay home, they don't want to leave home, but they leave when they cannot satisfy their basic needs," she told reporters.
Republican politicians with an eye on the 2022 midterm elections, when they hope to retake control of Congress, have been quick to portray the sprawling camp in Texas as the result of Democrats' push to end some migration restrictions.
The camp's population peaked at up to 14,000 at the weekend, according to the U.N's refugee agency.
On Tuesday, the camp on the U.S. side of the river had expanded into a nearby forest area as migrants sought shade and cover. Some families built makeshift tents with branches and leaves, while parents washed their children using jugs of river water. One toddler had an untreated hernia on his stomach.
Migrants said food remained scarce and there were not enough portable toilets. In a small tent she had pitched under trees, a Haitian mother cradled her 15-day-old baby.
Fearful of the expulsions, some of the migrants have set up a new camp on the Mexican side of the river.
Mexican authorities also prepared flights and buses to Mexico's southern states after it began detaining Haitians in Ciudad Acuna, just across the border from Del Rio. The removal transport appeared aimed at reducing the concentration around the camps.
A Reuters crew witnessed one encounter in which several migrants yelled and protested as Mexican agents boarded them onto a National Immigration Institute (INM) van. INM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"HELPING GREATLY"
The new camp on the Mexican side has been growing, with migrants aided by groups, including the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders, as well as the U.N's migration agency.
Residents from Ciudad Acuna brought food.
Surreane Petit, who clutched her 3-year-old son at her side, said staying in Mexico was a huge improvement over the U.S. camp. "Here the Mexican people are helping greatly."
"Over there we were hungry," Petit said. "Under the bridge there was no help, no help."
She said she had lived the last five years in Chile, where her son was born, but decided to leave after pandemic lockdowns made it hard to leave her house to find work.
Following an outpouring of anger over an incident https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-homeland-security-chief-heads-border-removal-migrant-camp-accelerates-2021-09-20 in which mounted U.S. border agents in cowboy hats used horse reins like whips to intimidate the migrants, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas emphasized that U.S. border agents were delivering medical attention and working with the Red Cross.
Mayorkas said he was horrified by the images, echoing increasingly strident criticism from the White House, which said the footage "does not represent who we are as a country."
The agents under investigation have been assigned administrative duties and are no longer dealing with migrants, Mayorkas said. He also ordered that the conduct of personnel in Del Rio be consistent with the policies, training and "the values of this department."
Despite the risk of being returned to Haiti, many migrants remained in the Del Rio camp.
Carly Pierre, 40, said he was staying there because he saw a chance to make it into the United States with his wife and two children, ages 3 and 5, after several years living in Brazil.
"There are deportees and there are people who will make it in," he said, his shorts still wet from having crossed the river to buy ice and soda at a convenience store on the Mexican side.
Reuters
Wed Sep 22 2021
Haitian migrants collect their belongings after US authorities flew them out of a Texas border city after crossing the Rio Grande river from Mexico, at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti September 21, 2021 - REUTERS
ISIS Malaysia's perspective of Budget 2025
An excellent rakyat-centric budget under the overarching principle of a caring and humane economy.
Budget 2025: Record increase in STR, SARA aid initiatives
The government will provide a significant boost to the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiatives next year.
Budget 2025: EPF contributions to be made mandatory for foreign workers – PM Anwar
The government plans to make it compulsory for all non-citizen workers to contribute to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
What policies to expect from Indonesia's new President Prabowo
Prabowo will be open to foreign investment, his aide has said, such as by offering investors management of airports and sea ports.
Budget 2025: Govt allocates RM470 mil to empower women's participation in PMKS
The Women's Leadership Apprenticeship Program will be intensified as an effort to produce more female corporate personalities.
Israel sends more troops into north Gaza, deepens raid
Residents of Jabalia in northern Gaza said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp, using heavy air and ground fire.
Indonesia ramps up security ahead of Prabowo's inauguration
Prabowo Subianto will be sworn in as Indonesia's president on Sunday with Vice President-elect, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, also taking office.
Immediate allocation of RM150 mil for local authorities, DID to tackle flash floods
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this allocation is intended to address the recent flash floods that hit the capital and several major towns.
Budget 2025: Sabah, Sarawak to continue receiving among highest allocations - PM
Sabah and Sarawak continues to be prioritised under Budget 2025, with allocations of RM6.7 billion and RM5.9 billion respectively.
NFOF will be operational in November 2024 with funding of RM1 bil
PM Anwar Ibrahim said NFOF will support venture capital fund managers to invest in startup companies with RM300 million set aside for 2025.
Minimum wage to increase to RM1,700 effective Feb 1, 2025
The Progressive Wage Policy would be fully enforced next year with an allocation of RM200 million, benefiting 50,000 workers.
Bursa Malaysia ends higher on Budget 2025 optimism
The benchmark index, which opened 1.85 points higher at 1,643.29, moved between 1,641.71 and 1,649.31 throughout the trading session.
Five important aspects relating to people’s lives in Budget 2025 - PM
The focus is on driving the MADANI Economy, speeding reforms, cutting red tape, raising wages, and tackling the cost of living.
Economic outlook: Govt plans to leverage, expand existing city transit system
The expansion aims to provide a more efficient and reliable public transportation network, reduce congestion, and improve accessibility.
Economic outlook: Budget 2025 to lay foundation for a digital-driven economy
The report said Budget 2025 will entail efforts to position Kuala Lumpur as a top 20 global startup hub by 2030 through the KL20 initiative.
Economic outlook: Corruption and lack of accountability hinder economic progress
Special Cabinet Committee on National governance is established to curb corruption, law reforms to modernise outdate regulations, MoF said.
National Wages Consultative Council will be strengthened
The govt will also incentivise hiring women returning from career breaks, offer job matching and improve care services facilities.
Economic outlook: Ensuring 11 years of compulsory education for all children
Budget 2025 will continue prioritising upskilling and retraining initiatives to equip workers with the latest skill sets necessary.
Consolidated public sector projected to record lower surplus of RM41.7 bil 2024
The MoF said the consolidated general government revenue is estimated to increase slightly to RM384.7 billion in 2024.
PM announces substantial Budget 2025 hastening Malaysia to become Asian economic powerhouse
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said it would create jobs and also tackle financial leakages to enhance public spending efficiency.