13521: Hermantin: Asylum a Long Shot for Haitians (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Asylum a Long Shot for Haitians

By Bryan Virasami and Merle English
STAFF WRITERS
Posted October 30 2002

The more than 200 Haitians who shipwrecked off the Florida coast yesterday
should not expect to be treated differently from Haitians who earlier risked
their lives to reach U.S. soil, Haitian-American leaders in New York warned
yesterday.

While Haitians have long traveled in rickety boats from the Caribbean island
to Florida, yesterday's journey was aired on live television as many rushed
ashore and tried to flee.

The dramatic episode, some say, was an attempt by the Haitians to avoid
being detained or deported, a far different policy when it comes to Cubans
who flee on boats.

"It's been that way since the '90s," said Garry Pierre-Pierre, publisher of
the Brooklyn-based Haitian Times. "There's been countless [times] where
Cubans were let in while Haitians were sent back or detained."

Pierre-Pierre said while Cubans are seen as political refugees, Haitians are
viewed as fleeing poverty. Nevertheless, political tensions abound in Haiti,
where journalists are being attacked and the economy is stagnant.

Dina Paul Parks, executive director of the National Coalition for Haitian
Rights, said the organization will fight for better treatment of yesterday's
group.

"Our number one concern is to ensure these individuals have a chance at due
process," she said. "We're battling a policy of double-standard treatment
for Haitians, which has a long history with the INS."

In December, about 187 Haitians came ashore in Miami and nearly all were
allowed to seek asylum. However, after filing their initial applications,
they were held by the INS and were blocked from finalizing the process,
Parks said.

The Rev. Msgr. Rollin Darbouze, of Our Lady of Refuge Church in Flatbush,
said racism is behind the U.S. policy.

Darbouze, who runs the 1,000-member Haitian congregation, said many people
are dying of hunger in his native country, and politics is the cause.

"At this point, they would not consider it a political issue, but it is a
political issue where you have a country where a lot of people are getting
rich and others are dying of hunger," he said.



Copyright © 2002, Newsday, Inc.





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