The Biden Administration is weighing options to respond to what could soon be a mass exodus of Haitian migrants to the United States. Among these options, the temporary detention of migrants in a third country or the increase of capacities in an existing establishment at the American prison of Guantánamo Bay (Cuba), according to two American officials and an internal planning document

Let's recall that for more than 30 years, Guantánamo Bay has had an operations center (which is not part of the prison for terrorism suspects) which houses migrants intercepted by the Coast Guard in the Caribbean. Plans are under consideration that would double the capacity of this Center to 400 beds, according to the document.

In addition, the National Security Council (CSN) of the White House asks the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) what is the number of Haitian migrants that the United States would require to designate a third country.

The Biden administration predicts that when fuel is no longer blocked in Haiti, migrants will be able to buy gasoline for boats and there could be a mass exodus of Haitians trying to make the dangerous journey by road. sea ​​to the United States.

In recent days, the CSN has held a series of meetings on the issue, involving DHS, Defense and the State "The United States Government is always planning to be on the safe side and for a wide range of possible scenarios." said a spokesperson for the National Security Council, noting "These migration contingencies existed long before the Biden-Harris administration."

A spokesperson said DHS "continues to closely monitor the situation in Haiti, and long-standing contingency plans are ready in the event of heavy maritime migration" recalling "[...] DHS components, including the United States Border Patrol, Air and Maritime Operations, and the United States Coast Guard, along with our federal partners, maintain a continuous presence with air and maritime assets in the Florida Straits and the Caribbean Sea, as part of a multi-tiered approach to prevent illegal migrants from entering the United States."

HL/ HaitiLibre