April 23, 2025
Attorney André Michel, spokesperson for the Democratic and Popular Sector, has called on Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and current Chair of CARICOM, to intervene on behalf of Haitian beneficiaries of the Humanitarian Parole program. He urges that this issue be raised during the upcoming meeting in Jamaica with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio this Wednesday.
The parole program, launched under the Biden administration in January 2023, allowed over 21,000 Haitians to immigrate legally to the United States. However, the Trump administration recently announced its termination, effectively shutting down this legal pathway for Haitians, as well as for nationals of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
Attorney André Michel emphasizes that, given the worsening security situation in Haiti and the failure of the CPT, the country is experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. He notes that gang violence has displaced more than 1.2 million people over the past 12 months, according to the United Nations.
In this context, Attorney André Michel argues that Haiti is not in a position to accommodate the return of Humanitarian Parole beneficiaries, who have significantly contributed to increasing remittances from the Haitian diaspora to their families. He therefore urges CARICOM to seek special consideration for these Haitians currently residing in the United States.
