19975: Durban: Opinion on Boat People Controversy (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Lance Durban <lpdurban@yahoo.com>

Responding to David Nealy's recent post (19939) pointing out the
humanitarian nature of U.S. Coast Guard intervention to prevent
countless drownings at sea in response to Antoine's earlier
post(19932)...

You are right in one sense, David, namely it would be far better
FOR HAITI if the boat people phenomena could be halted, because
besides being poor, destitute, jobless, politically oppresssed,
etc. the boat people also happen to include (in my considered
opinion) the best, brightest, most ambitious, and hardest
working of that segment of the Haitian population.  The very
kind of people that the USA should be welcoming as immigrants.

HOWEVER, Guy Antoine and others fail to appreciate the
implications of numerous surveys which indicate that a very
substantial portion of the people in Haiti would choose to
immigrate to the USA if the doors were opened.  (That's why
Clinton did a 180 degree flip flop just before taking office in
1991... it was BEFORE his inauguration, but AFTER he had
hammered Bush Senior on the electral hustings on this very
point.  And of course Clinton justified his flip-flop by raising
your "safety at sea" point).

Now, if George Bush (fils) were suddenly to change course and
open U.S. doors, the boat people phenomena would increase
substantially, and my guess is that that costs would outweigh
the benefits for everyone.  Accepting all boat people makes good
campaign talk, but it's doubtful ANY U.S. president will change
this policy.  Again, that is my considered opinion.

Honesty requires that I make one final comment in SUPPORT of
more boat people, however.  Given the substantial amount of
foreign remmittances Haiti receives, a Haitian boat person may
actually be more valuable to Haiti as a landed immigrant in the
USA, sending his $100+ home each month.   Unfortunate, but true.

Lance Durban