7315: Govt of Haiti clarifies point on negotiating a repatriation agreement (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: MKarshan@aol.com

On March 6, 2001, Ira Kurzban, Esq., the General Counsel for the Government 
of Haiti issued a press release clarifying one of the points contained in the 
8-point agreement which pertains to the question of negotiating a 
repatriation agreement:  

"In December, 2000, President Jean Bertrand Aristide, in cooperation with the 
United States Government, established eight points of agreement that would 
remove obstacles to the future development of Haiti for the benefit of the 
Haitian people. Included in the eight points was an understanding that the 
governments of the Untied States and Haiti would negotiate an agreement for 
the repatriation of illegal migrants. 

"There has been substantial confusion over President Aristide's pledge to 
negotiate an agreement for the repatriation of illegal migrants. Some members 
of the international community and Haitians in the Tenth Department are under 
the mistaken impression that the Government of Haiti has already entered into 
an agreement for the repatriation of Haitian citizens. This is not so. No 
agreement to repatriate Haitian citizens has been made by the government of 
Haiti.  

"Any agreement over repatriation will undoubtedly involve other immigration 
issues including the treatment and manner of return of Haitian citizens who 
were convicted of crimes in the United States and the treatment of Haitians 
who are repatriated generally. Because the eight point pledge calls for 
negotiations over such an agreement that will likely involve other 
immigration issues including the method of repatriation of persons with 
criminal records, no agreement has been reached to date. In fact, 
negotiations over such an agreement have not yet begun as other issues, such 
as the formation of the government that will conduct the negotiations, have 
been a priority. 

"The Government of Haiti looks forward to negotiating with the United States 
on a range of immigration issues that will be beneficial to the Haitian 
people as well as the United States."

                                                                              
  
Ira Kurzban, Esq. can be reached at 305-444-0060