Coast Guard repatriates 122 refugees to Haiti

[struggle4progress]

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In the last six months, the Coast Guard has interdicted more than 2,100 Haitians, more than each of the previous eight years. Apart from a big spike in February, during the violent political crisis that resulted in then President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's departure, and a few large boats in April, the refugee flow is about the same as it has been for years, said Coast Guard Lt. Tony Russell in Miami.

Whether more people wish to flee Haiti now is unclear, said Marleine Bastien, of the Haitian Grassroots Coalition.

"It's hard to assess because of the floating Berlin Wall," she said, referring to the increased presence of U.S. ships monitoring the waters near Haiti since February.

The coalition and other advocacy groups are lobbying the U.S. government for temporary protected status for Haitians, which would allow Haitians to stay here legally until the situation in their country improves. The groups also complain that U.S. officials here are thwarting due process by repatriating Haitian refugees without adequate asylum screening.
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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/miami/sfl-crefugees03jun03,0,1092587.story?coll=sfla-news-miami