Haiti has got plenty of problems: violent crime and kidnappings are on the increase, the economy's gone to hell in a handbasket, and food prices are going through the roof. I've written a piece for the Guardian's Comment is free site asking why the US isn't doing more to help:
If the Bush administration isn't prepared to help Haiti on humanitarian grounds, it ought to consider the practical advantages of doing so. Calling a moratorium on deportations would spare the overstretched Haitian government the burden of dealing with returned deportees. More importantly, it would provide the country with a stable source of income from remittances. At present, cash sent home by immigrants makes up more than a fifth of Haiti's GDP. Making it easier for Haitians to work in the US without fear of deportation would be a cheap, easy way to further shore up the country's economy.
That would be good news for Haitians, who need all the help they can get. It would also be good for America. After all, Haiti is a poor, populous nation just a boat ride from Florida. The US has a vested interest in staving off its southern neighbour's collapse, if only to keep the current influx of refugees from turning into a full-fledged exodus. Offering protected status to those Haitians already in the US would, at least, be a step in the right direction.
Read the rest here.
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