Refugees International is currently conducting an assessment mission to Miami, Haiti, and the border of the Dominican Republic. The purpose of the mission is to gather information on the plight of Haitian refugees, migrants and asylum seekers who are detained in the United States, in hiding in Haiti, or have recently fled to the Dominican Republic.

Since the violence early this year which lead to the departure of the government of President Jean Bertrand Aristide, more than a thousand Haitians fleeing the country have been turned back at sea by the U.S. Coast Guard. The U.S. government acknowledges having summarily repatriated a total of 1,948 Haitians found at sea in the first quarter of 2004. Of these, only twenty-five people were permitted to remain on Coast Guard vessels to be pre-screened for political asylum. Of this group only a handful were brought to the U.S. military base on Guantanamo, Cuba,  where they are currently detained pending asylum screening and possible resettlement to another country, not the United States.

Recent Coast Guard figures show that Haitians are no longer fleeing via boat.  However, RI is concerned that Haitians crossing over land into the Dominican Republic and others in hiding within Haiti continue to face persecution despite the change in the government and the presence of UN forces. For Haitians, the right to seek asylum and the right not to be returned in the face of life threatening danger does not appear to have real meaning.

Refugees International is deeply concerned about the plight of both Haitian migrants and asylum seekers who are currently detained in the United States. We are also dedicated to finding out if there are more Haitians within Haiti who face persecution but are unable to leave the country.