Nevis: Mark Brantley- Premier of Nevis and the leader of the Concerned Citizens Movement, showed concern about the situation in Haiti and demanded the significant attention of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on the situation of the country.
While explaining the situation, Premier Mark Brantley asked, “Is Haiti an existential threat to Caricom?”
Answering his own question, Mark Brantley cited that he believes the situation in Haiti demands a national and regional discussion. If, as they are hearing, the government controls have collapsed and armed gangs now control most of the Caribbean sister Haiti, then we have not only a humanitarian crisis unfolding but also a serious security crisis as well.
“Haiti has more than double the population of the rest of Caricom combined. If even 10% of Haiti’s over 11 million people decide to leave Haiti to escape the situation there, then we can anticipate over 1 million people on the move in the region. Such a number would pose an existential threat to most of us in Caricom, “Mark Brantley added.
Outlining the take of St Kitts on the influx of Haiti, Premier Brantley asserted that they have now seen that the Court in St Kitts has granted an injunction preventing the Government from repatriating Haitians who arrived illegally into the Federation until there is a full hearing of their claims for asylum and other relief. That development, too is interesting because it can potentially mean that Haitians entering any of the Caricom countries, even if they enter illegally, may have the right to remain.
“While we welcome our brothers and sisters from Haiti, the question still remains can Caricom States especially the micro States like St Kitts and Nevis handle an influx of Haitians? Can our education system, health system, social services framework, housing, physical infrastructure handle even a number of, say, 10,000 in a short space of time?, “said the premier.
Mark Brantley stressed that Haiti demands collective attention. It is time that we find a solution for what he feel is an existential threat to our sister Haiti and to the wider Caricom region.
