‘They treated us like animals’: Haitians angry and in despair at being deported from US
Haitian deportees arriving from Texas say they were ‘rounded up like cattle and shackled like criminals’
Haitians cross the Rio Grande back to the United States in Parque Ecologico Braulio Fernandez in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico.
Photograph: Paul Ratje/AFP/Getty Images
When Evens Delva waded across the Rio Grande with his wife and two daughters, he had dreams of starting a new life in Florida. But less than a week later, he and his family stepped on to the tarmac in Port-au-Prince, the sweltering and chaotic capital of Haiti, with nothing except traumatic memories and a feeling of bubbling anger.
Delva, along with nearly 2,000 other Haitians, was deported from southern Texas this week to Haiti, despite having lived in Chile for the past six years and having few remaining connections to his home country. His younger daughter, who is four, does not hold Haitian citizenship, having been born in Chile, and speaks more Spanish than Haitian Creole.
“I don’t know what we’ll do, we don’t have anywhere to stay or anyone to call,” the 40-year-old said, moments after getting off the plane in the blistering midday Caribbean heat. “All I know is that this is the last place I want to be.”
When Evens Delva waded across the Rio Grande with his wife and two daughters, he had dreams of starting a new life in Florida. But less than a week later, he and his family stepped on to the tarmac in Port-au-Prince, the sweltering and chaotic capital of Haiti, with nothing except traumatic memories and a feeling of bubbling anger.
Delva, along with nearly 2,000 other Haitians, was deported from southern Texas this week to Haiti, despite having lived in Chile for the past six years and having few remaining connections to his home country. His younger daughter, who is four, does not hold Haitian citizenship, having been born in Chile, and speaks more Spanish than Haitian Creole.
“I don’t know what we’ll do, we don’t have anywhere to stay or anyone to call,” the 40-year-old said, moments after getting off the plane in the blistering midday Caribbean heat. “All I know is that this is the last place I want to be.”
Evens Delva and his wife at Port-au-Prince airport in Haiti on Friday after being deported from Texas.
Photograph: Joe Parkin Daniels/The Guardian
It is not hard to understand why. Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, is mired in overlapping crises. Gasoline shortages and blackouts are a daily reality, while warring gangs routinely kidnap for ransom and wage battle on the streets.
The grim situation only worsened when the president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated in his home on 7 July, triggering a political power struggle and further instability and street violence. On 14 August, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the country’s poor southern peninsula, killing more than 2,200 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.
It is not hard to understand why. Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, is mired in overlapping crises. Gasoline shortages and blackouts are a daily reality, while warring gangs routinely kidnap for ransom and wage battle on the streets.
The grim situation only worsened when the president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated in his home on 7 July, triggering a political power struggle and further instability and street violence. On 14 August, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the country’s poor southern peninsula, killing more than 2,200 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.
US envoy to Haiti resigns over ‘inhumane’ decision to deport migrants
The Biden administration’s decision to deport thousands of Haitians under such circumstances drew opprobrium around the world, and prompted the US envoy to Haiti to resign in protest. Haiti is “a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs in control of daily life”, he wrote in his resignation letter. “Surging migration to our borders will only grow as we add to Haiti’s unacceptable misery.”
Last week, the world was shocked by images of police officers on horseback charging at desperate Haitian migrants near a camp of 12,000, set up under the Del Río-Ciudad Acuña International Bridge. Delva was on his way to buy food and water for his family when the cavalry charge sent him and dozens of his compatriots running in a frenzy.
“We were rounded up like cattle and shackled like criminals,” he said, having spent the six-hour flight from San Antonio with his hands and legs tied.
“They treated us like animals,” added Maria, his wife.. “We’ll never forget how that felt.”
The Biden administration’s decision to deport thousands of Haitians under such circumstances drew opprobrium around the world, and prompted the US envoy to Haiti to resign in protest. Haiti is “a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs in control of daily life”, he wrote in his resignation letter. “Surging migration to our borders will only grow as we add to Haiti’s unacceptable misery.”
Last week, the world was shocked by images of police officers on horseback charging at desperate Haitian migrants near a camp of 12,000, set up under the Del Río-Ciudad Acuña International Bridge. Delva was on his way to buy food and water for his family when the cavalry charge sent him and dozens of his compatriots running in a frenzy.
“We were rounded up like cattle and shackled like criminals,” he said, having spent the six-hour flight from San Antonio with his hands and legs tied.
“They treated us like animals,” added Maria, his wife.. “We’ll never forget how that felt.”
Migrants, many from Haiti, at the encampment in Del Rio, Texas, last Tuesday.
Photograph: Julio Cortez/AP
US authorities were so slapdash in their rapid deportation of the migrants that they also swept up an Angolan man who had never set foot in Haiti. “I told them I am not Haitian,” said Belone Mpembele, as he emerged, dazed, from the terminal. “But they didn’t listen.”
Outside the airport a few dozen deported Haitians were waiting, restless and angry, for any help. “Screw Biden!” one deportee shouted as a fight broke out between two motorcycle taxi drivers jostling for clients and plumes of white, rancid smoke billowed from a nearby pile of burning rubbish.
New arrivals each received about $50 in cash as well a hygiene kit including toilet paper, soap and toothbrushes, emblazoned with the USAID logo and slogan: “A gift from the American people.”
“This is my country and I’m not scared of it, but there’s no future here, even if you want to work,” said Fanfan Clerveaux, who had been sleeping at a cousin’s house nearby since he arrived days ago. “But I don’t know why they had to deport us like that.”
US authorities were so slapdash in their rapid deportation of the migrants that they also swept up an Angolan man who had never set foot in Haiti. “I told them I am not Haitian,” said Belone Mpembele, as he emerged, dazed, from the terminal. “But they didn’t listen.”
Outside the airport a few dozen deported Haitians were waiting, restless and angry, for any help. “Screw Biden!” one deportee shouted as a fight broke out between two motorcycle taxi drivers jostling for clients and plumes of white, rancid smoke billowed from a nearby pile of burning rubbish.
New arrivals each received about $50 in cash as well a hygiene kit including toilet paper, soap and toothbrushes, emblazoned with the USAID logo and slogan: “A gift from the American people.”
“This is my country and I’m not scared of it, but there’s no future here, even if you want to work,” said Fanfan Clerveaux, who had been sleeping at a cousin’s house nearby since he arrived days ago. “But I don’t know why they had to deport us like that.”
How thousands of Haitian migrants ended up at the Texas border
The vast majority of those deported had been living in Chile and Brazil for several years following an earthquake in 2010 that levelled much of Port-au-Prince, killing more than 200,000 people and setting Haiti on a spiral of instability from which it has never recovered.
Those who reached South America set about making new lives, but when the coronavirus pandemic struck, it wiped out much of Latin America’s middle- and working-class jobs, and they were once again left in poverty.
Many Haitians decided to head for the US. The long route north exposes them to bandits, traffickers and immigration officials who prey on migrants. Perhaps the worst part of the journey is the dreaded Darién Gap, a lawless patch of mountainous jungle between Colombia and Panama. “The dead bodies, there are so just many dead bodies, and the rivers just ate people alive” said Delva. “And the thieves, just stealing from everyone.”
After the last flight of the day arrived, one young woman fought through a crowd of taxi drivers and broke down in tears when she saw her mother, who was separated from her in Texas. “You’re here!” Further back, a driver listened to radio news, hearing about another kidnapping in the capital, while the Delva family began piling into a battered hatchback.
“I don’t know if Biden knows what happened to us, but they treated us like private property,” Delva said. Despite the traumas of their long journey, he was certain of one thing: his family’s future was not in Haiti. “We’ll stay here for a month or so, then we’ll try to leave again.”
The vast majority of those deported had been living in Chile and Brazil for several years following an earthquake in 2010 that levelled much of Port-au-Prince, killing more than 200,000 people and setting Haiti on a spiral of instability from which it has never recovered.
Those who reached South America set about making new lives, but when the coronavirus pandemic struck, it wiped out much of Latin America’s middle- and working-class jobs, and they were once again left in poverty.
Many Haitians decided to head for the US. The long route north exposes them to bandits, traffickers and immigration officials who prey on migrants. Perhaps the worst part of the journey is the dreaded Darién Gap, a lawless patch of mountainous jungle between Colombia and Panama. “The dead bodies, there are so just many dead bodies, and the rivers just ate people alive” said Delva. “And the thieves, just stealing from everyone.”
After the last flight of the day arrived, one young woman fought through a crowd of taxi drivers and broke down in tears when she saw her mother, who was separated from her in Texas. “You’re here!” Further back, a driver listened to radio news, hearing about another kidnapping in the capital, while the Delva family began piling into a battered hatchback.
“I don’t know if Biden knows what happened to us, but they treated us like private property,” Delva said. Despite the traumas of their long journey, he was certain of one thing: his family’s future was not in Haiti. “We’ll stay here for a month or so, then we’ll try to leave again.”
Very Strange 500 yo Bully treat Afghans and Haitians so badly yet they are so desperate in wanting to go live there, even clinging on to planes as they take off. Aneh. They must truly believe in the land of the Free and Easy.
ReplyDeleteYaloh, years of Hollywood indoctrinations & spurious propagandas spilled by mfers like u!
DeleteThese desperados people have zilch chances of ever venturing out of their despicable folds. Least too, to a f*cked land of free & easy as claimed in those make-believe films & TV soap operas. They have no REAL situational idea but just pure wet dreams.
Ignorant people have no faults in thinking so. But contemptuous mfers, like u, r definitely the contribution factor to mislead them!
The taxi driver who drove me on my last USA trip was a Haitian refugee.
ReplyDeleteThe "Cruel USA" has apparently, over decades, contributed more than any other country on earth, both aid to Haiti and taking in Haitian refugees. Add to that generous contributions from private American organisations and individual, it far surpasses any other country's assistance to Haiti.
But, as usual, there are limits to generosity to a foreign country.
Nothing wrong with that.
Wakakakakaka…
DeleteOne sparrow makes the spring blooms!
& yet, there r that last minute caveat to yr fart!
Bravo!!
I am sorry but if they are ILLEGAL migrants, I don't blame the US for sending them back. Just like Malaysia should not open its borders to anybody to walk through.
ReplyDeleteThe UN should be involved to facilitate a proper processing centre together with the US.
Guardian Australia ?
ReplyDeleteThey should look closer at Australia's refugee policy.
Both Labour and Liberal Governments have run offshore concentration camps for people trying to enter Australia illegally.
USA has for decades taken in more than its fair share of refugees.
Nobody has a "right" to turn up at the US border to be permitted to enter. If you get deported, that is just the law, as with 99% of other countries in the world
Old moneyed mfer，u DO miss the right theme of the article!
DeleteWhat is that BUT decent human treatment even if they r illegal immigrants!
Ooop… for f*cking dickheads like u, just bcoz they act illegal for whatsoever reasons, they ain't human, YES?
You are a loud mouthed uncouth idiot.
DeleteYour mother should be ashamed of you