As five countries prepare to repatriate tens of thousands of Haitian migrants to Haiti in the coming weeks, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it fears the beleaguered nation will fall further into crisis.
Officials from the five countries — the U.S., Mexico, Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas and Cuba — estimate at least 70,000 migrants in various locales may be repatriated soon: 14,000 in Texas, 28,000 in Mexico, between 900 and 1,000 in the Bahamas and 20,000 in Colombia. IOM officials in Haiti predict that more than 1,000 people may be deported to the country each day.
In calling for assistance at a news conference Thursday, the IOM officials pointed out that Haiti is still recovering from an August earthquake and political turmoil following the assasination of president Jovenel Moïse in July. Read more.