PROTECTION FOR HAITIAN REFUGEES
The Women’s Commission advocates to ensure that Haitian refugees are given the same chance to apply for asylum as other refugee groups and that their rights are respected throughout the asylum process.
The Detention and Asylum Program released a landmark report, Refugee Policy Adrift: The United States and the Dominican Republic Deny Haitians Protections, which documented the measures that receiving countries such as the United States and the Dominican Republic have adopted to prevent Haitian asylum seekers from accessing asylum procedures.
As shown in that report, in the United States, the White House is the driving force behind a discriminatory policy aimed specifically at Haitian asylum seekers. However, several executive agencies, including the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard continue to implement measures that undermine the ability of Haitian asylum seekers to obtain refugee protection.
Please click here to learn about the Women’s Commission’s concerns about the treatment of Haitian refugees.