While we were all surprised by 15,000 Haitian immigrants arriving at Acuna, Mexico just across from Del Rio Texas, we should know that more are on the way.
This is not about Haitians coming to our Southern Border. But it is about our disturbing history of misguided foreign policies and practices that have left Haiti in shambles.
No one wants to leave their country in search for survival in other countries. But as we know people will do whatever is necessary to survive
It seems that Haitians for years have tried to not only go to the USA but to other countries in Latin America. Haiti’s 2010 earthquake coincided with Brazil’s need for cheap labor to build installations for the Olympics. Thousands of desperate Haitians fled the ruined Haitian landscape finding work in Brazil and then on to Chile and other countries who would exploit these hard-working immigrants.
The pandemic, lockdowns, combined with the growing impact of climate change led to an abrupt economic downturn in the region diminishing job opportunities and increasing the prevalence of racism as excuses to pressure immigrants to go on in search of other opportunities. Each crisis that besets Haiti only fuels this continental migration with waves of migrants in search of survival. For example, the recent 2021 Haiti earthquake and assassination of the Haitian president has led many Haitians to flee finding opportunity in Bolivia.
With a new administration in the White House, rumors of more humane immigration and asylum policies coupled with coyotes/smugglers’ picking up the scent of opportunity to exploit these over-embellished hopes and dreams, drove many seasoned Haitian migrants northward.
In my and my spouse’s work over the past three years in Tijuana I discovered immigrants from multiple countries. Amongst many Haitians. When Haitians could not get asylum and were returned to Tijuana they decided to settle, set up businesses and put their kids in school. In interviews my spouse did with employers and managers of shelters, Haitians were singled out as the good example of an immigrant settling in their city. We would often hear of the good experience people had with Haitian immigrants
When I first heard of Haitian immigrants settling in Tijuana, there was a story of a Mexican woman who had a small restaurant. Noticing the many hungry Haitian workers, she learned to cook common Haitian dishes. When the workers had little or no money, she fed them for free. She has continued to cater to her Haitian clientele, who are now regulars at her restaurant.
Beginning early September of this year 2021, dozens of buses began to arrive to Acuna each day filled mostly with Haitians. Acuna, this small Mexican town, was being overwhelmed by these many buses arriving and unloading these people onto the streets. Soon a makeshift refugee shelter began to take shape under the bridge.
Aid agencies on both sides of the border did as best they could, but the response by both border governments was less than adequate, and inhumane in many instances. Amongst the adults, there were many children who had been born in various Latin-American countries along the multi-year, multi-country migration route. In other words, many children had nationalities that mirrored the American continent.
The manner in which they arrived to Acuna opens the dark door to bribery and extortion. But is this surprising? We see how easy it is for drug cartels to transport drugs to the USA with some high dollar bribes along the way.
At the time of this writing, it is being reported that thousands of more Haitians are on their way north, congregating in Colombia, making their trek through and around the Darien Gap, a 100-mile section of impassible jungle between Central & South America. There are no roads that traverse the jungle here, only footpaths, small ferries, and boats.
We are told that a ferry system is taking these immigrants part of the way and they are then transferred into smaller boats operated by smugglers who sell these migrating souls’ things like water-proof plastic pouches to protect their phones and other documents, at exorbitant prices. They also offer internet access through a hotspot for $50 an hour.
Social media is the medium these immigrants use to communicate with smugglers and their families who can send them funds and track their travel. It is a costly situation where immigrants sell everything they have, often indebted to the smugglers who can be ruthless in their efforts to get paid.
It is clear that we need to develop a multilateral strategy for addressing migration and immigration through the Americas. We are hearing of Haitians today, but it has been Central Americans before and will be others tomorrow. Dislocation will continue until we understand that our ways across nations contribute to undermining the livelihoods of others across borders; it is only through owning our shared responsibilities will we find solutions. Deportation is not the solution but a cruel way of avoiding responsibility in the crisis.
We must be humane and smart in responding to this new multi-lateral migration reality.
