8568: Aristide pledges to reduce illegal migration by better living conditions (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Max Blanchet <maxblanchet@worldnet.att.net>


Haiti: Aristide pledges to reduce illegal migration by better living
conditions
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul 5, 2001


Text of report by Haitian Metropole radio on 5 July

The summit of the heads of state [of the Caribbean Community, Caricom] comes
at a time when the Bahamian authorities are pursuing the repatriation
process of illegal Haitians. According to the head of state, the economic
situation that the country is going through and the political crisis have
caused people to leave their country. President Aristide, who has been in
power for about six months now, promised to work to improve the living
conditions of the population in order to discourage illegal migration.
Aristide spoke as follows:

[Aristide - recording, in Creole] We take good steps in the right direction
each time that Haitians hold a dialogue together in mutual respect. When we
talk together it is necessary and important for us to try to find what we
have in common, what agreement we can find or that we have already found.
Then we can move ahead in accordance with what we had already achieved. That
is what I gather following the three-day dialogues that were held among
Haitians to find a political solution and an economic solution.

Tomorrow we shall discuss the reality of the Caribbean economy that [words
indistinct] because Haiti is a part of the Caribbean community. When I went
to the Caricom meeting that was held in Barbados I had the chance to sit
with the Bahamian prime minister to see what policies could accompany the
boat people as regards human rights. There again, I shall need to deepen the
concerted strategy so that the boat people are not left to themselves
without us taking up our responsibility according to our ability.

It is an important issue. We are working to ensure that human rights are
respected, therefore the boat people situation is important to us. Sometimes
if resources proportionate to the needs of the people are not there, one can
have the good will and good policies, but one ought to be able to satisfy
their needs so that they do not have to risk their lives trying to go
somewhere else in search of a better life.

That is why, referring to our country, we shall say that the sooner we get
out of the crisis, the sooner we unblock the country through dialogue,
through a compromise and with the help of everybody, the more national
production will increase, the more economic growth will increase and
Haitians will not have to escape from the country anymore. Since it is for
economic reasons that they leave their country then the conditions should be
improved here so that they may stay at home, because they love their
country.

Source: Radio Metropole, Port-au-Prince, in French 1145 gmt 5 Jul 01

/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.