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Systematic violations of fundamental guarantees and incessant armed violence have precipitated Haiti’s decline to its worst human rights and humanitarian situation in decades. Assaults -including sexual ones-, kidnappings, looting and roadblocks are the order of the day, creating a devastating environment for the population that was already experiencing a deplorable situation of food insecurity, fuel shortages and lack of services. medical and sanitation, stressed this Friday the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
This alarming lack of essential goods and security prevents, for example, millions of children from going to school, in addition to making them live in fear and it is, to a great extent, the cause of the malnutrition they suffer from.
This scenario led the head of UNHCR to make a request: “I urge all States to stand in solidarity with Haiti and I ask you not to return the Haitian population to an extremely fragile country,” said Filippo Grandi.
Grandi’s call went to both to the countries of the region and to those of any other area of the world in which there are Haitian citizens, regardless of their immigration status.
International law prohibits refoulement
The agency explained that Haitians who are outside the country and who are returned to it may face new displacements, as well as security and health risks that threaten their lives.
He also stressed that international law explicitly prohibits returns, that is, the forced transfer of people to a place where they run risk of persecution, torture or other serious or irreparable harm.
“International law also prohibits collective expulsions and the arbitrary detentions associated with them,” UNHCR pointed out.
Access to asylum procedures
The UN body emphasized that Haitians who wish to apply for international protection must have access to asylum procedures. fair and effective and insisted that deportations stop of Haitians whose asylum application had been rejected before the recent events.
In this request, you must include those not previously in need of international protectionbut now, given the new circumstances in Haiti, they have reason to seek asylum.
UNHCR urged the governments of countries with Haitian populations to ensure that these people have access to health services. protection and supportregardless of the reasons why they left their country.
Temporary and humanitarian protection
“In the case of people who do not qualify for refugee protection, this can be achieved through granting of complementary protectiontemporary protection, humanitarian admission or other legal stay arrangements until the security situation in Haiti allows for a safe return.
The UN system works with the Haitian government, civil society and private sector stakeholders in pursuit of a peaceful, secure and prosperous future for the country.
UNHCR, for its part, expressed its willingness to assist the governments of the region to ensure respect for the rights of Haitians, including assistance in the design and implementation of complementary protection mechanisms or other legal stay arrangements when necessary.
