18752: Esser: From: Jamaica braces for Haitian refugees (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

The Jamaica Observer
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com

Jamaica braces for Haitian refugees
Authorities drafting plan to handle boat people
Arlene Martin-WILKINS, Observer staff reporter

Wednesday, February 18, 2004


The Jamaican authorities will this week begin drafting a plan on how
to deal with a potential influx of Haitian refugees if that country's
current political and security crisis leads to an exodus of boat
people.

"We are thinking of a time between (today) and tomorrow to discuss
the possibility of that eventuality," said Gilbert Scott, the
permanent secretary in the national security ministry.

Immigration, security officials, emergency relief planners as well as
security and foreign ministry technocrats are expected to be part of
the strategy session.

There are growing fears that months of on-going demonstrations and
political violence, aimed at ousting President Jean-Bertrand
Aristide, will lead to a resurgence of Haitian boat people, similar
to the crisis of the mid-1990s when Aristide's first presidency was
truncated by a military coup.

At that time, scores of Haitian refugees came to Jamaica in mostly
rickety boats.

Later, at the height of the 1990s crisis, thousands of Haitians were
housed on US medical ships in Kingston Harbour.

Haiti, on the western third of the island of Hispaniola, which it
shares with the Dominican Republic, is just north east of Jamaica.
The countries are separated by the Windward Passage.

With the Haitian opposition relentless in its demand that Aristide
should go, and several towns now in the hands of rebel gunmen,
international relief organisations have warned of an emerging
humanitarian crisis in the country which could explode into an
outflow of refugees.

While most refugees would try to head for Florida, several would end
up in nearby countries, such as Jamaica, The Bahamas, the Cayman
Islands and Haiti's closet neighbour, Cuba.

Yesterday, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees urged
regional countries to accept Haitian refugees should the exodus begin.
Indeed, a trickle has begun.

On Saturday 10 Haitian refugees, among them eight armed cops,
apparently en route to the United states, arrived in Port Antonio
after their 15-foot boat developed mechanical problems off the shores
of the eastern Jamaican town. The vessel was towed to shore by
Jamaican fishermen.

Up to yesterday, the Haitians were still being processed. It was not
clear if they intend to seek asylum here.

But some Jamaican officials fear that this early trickle will turn
into to an expensive flood.

"It takes cash to care," one source close to the immigration
authorities told the Observer yesterday. "And that we do not have. It
is a frightening situation. The longer the unrest continues in Haiti
then the propensity for this to happen also increases."

However, while the security ministry's Scott acknowledged the
possibility for a flood of refugees, he warned against panic and
"self-fulfilling prophecy".

"If it happens we have to find a way to cope," he said, emphasising
that Jamaica's main concern would be for its security and the
humanitarian needs of refugees.

Meanwhile Aristide yesterday asked for international help to defuse
the tensions and France mulled over sending a peacekeeping force to
its former colony.


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