WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd October, 2021) Assistant US Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols headed a US delegation to Haiti, where officials discussed the security situation in the country, as well as the issue of repatriating migrants, the US National Security Council (NSC) informs.
The delegation traveled to Haiti on September 30 - October 1 and met with representatives from the Haitian civil society, as well as political stakeholders, NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne said on Saturday.
"The delegation also met with Prime Minister Ariel Henry and Foreign Minister Claude Joseph to reiterate U.S. commitment to humane repatriation of migrants, a desire for a full and transparent investigation into President Moise's assassination, and to recognize that improving the security situation in Haiti is of critical importance to both Haiti and the United States," Horne said.
Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake in August in which more than 2,000 people died in addition to suffering poverty, rampant gang violence and a political crisis following the assassination of previous President Jovenel Moise on July 7.
Some 15,000 migrants, mostly from Haiti, arrived in Del Rio, Texas, in September, prompting Texas to declare a state of emergency and deploy additional state police officers and National Guard troops to stem the surge. The US has conducted over a dozen flights to Haiti to transport about 2,000 individuals who tried to cross the southern border of the United States.
Earlier this week, the UN Refugee Agency warned against deporting Haitian migrants in groups without properly assessing their protective needs.
