Adrian Frater, News Editor
Haitian refugees relax at the Winifred Rest Home in Portland in this March 11 photo. - RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE FATE of almost 500 Haitian refugees still hangs in the balance this morning as the Jamaican Government scrambles to overcome roadblocks that threaten to derail efforts to expedite their repatriation.
The Haitians have been housed in Montpelier, St. James, and Winnifred Rest Home in Fairy Hill, Portland, since last year.
Yesterday, some 200 Haitians in Montpelier were up in arms after news broke that they were to be sent home immediately.
The boat people told The Gleaner that they were rounded up early Saturday morning and detained in the facility after they were told that a flight was being prepared to take them to Toussaint L'Ouverture Airport in Port-au-Prince today.
"We are going home to see our families and they (camp officials) won't even allow us to go out and buy gifts to take home to them," Christophe Marquis said. He is one of many Haitians who had sought full-time employment in the Montpelier area after he "became tired of sitting around the camp" daily.
COMPLAINED BITTERLY
When The Gleaner visited the Montpelier camp yesterday, a number of Haitians complained bitterly that they were pulled off jobs without notice and were not able to collect outstanding wages. However, a source at the Ministry of Labour said the Haitians have no work permits and, therefore, could not be legally employed in Jamaica.
Up to yesterday morning, sources at the Ministry of National Security said that plans to repatriate the Haitians would go ahead as planned, as they had not been granted asylum in Jamaica. However, as the day progressed, there were conflicting reports that Haitian authorities had not given the Jamaicans the green light to repatriate the refugees. Other reports surfaced that there was an 11th-hour bid by an international overseas organisation to intervene in the attempted repatriation.
Donovan Nelson, communications adviser in the Ministry of National Security, declined to comment on the situation.
Some Haitians, however, were looking forward to renewing acquaintances with their families. However, the majority seemed somewhat fearful about going back to their strife-torn homeland. In fact, one refugee likened going home to a death sentence.
"I left Haiti because I fear for my life so I really don't want to go back there," said Eleanor Breazeau, who told The Gleaner that her name was on the list of those who were told they would be leaving today. "I fled after my parents and one of my brothers were killed."
In reliving the lockdown of the camp which took place early Saturday morning, Marquis told The Gleaner that they woke to find the camp surrounded by heavily armed policemen, who told them they were no longer free to leave the camp at will.
"We have been locked in since Saturday," complained Marquis, pointing to the blue denim-clad policemen manning the gate to the camp and patrolling the perimeter fence. "We can't even go to the gate and buy a drinks from a vendor."
