The Haitian-Dominican Border Camps–Another Stupid Crisis--September 12, 2015

Photo by John Carroll

Most of us have seen the photo of the innocent Syrian toddler who washed up on the beach.

This is beyond shameful. His father was just trying to find a safe life for the boy which would be free from barrel bombs falling from the sky.  

And now numerous countries are accepting these thousands of  migrant human beings and treating them like human beings.  They are getting free train rides. They are going to soccer games. And the Pope is speaking up for them as are numerous government leaders on different continents. 

But when Haitians wash up on our shore, what are we doing for them? Are we taking them to soccer games in South Florida? 

I am sure they would not have left Haiti in the first place in overcrowded rotten boats and paid a smuggler a couple of thousands of dollars if they thought that Haiti offered them anything. Their goal in life is not to clean toilets on third shift in the Miami International Airport.

And what about the unfolding disaster now on the Haitian-Dominican border where thousands of people of Haitian descent are being ejected from the Dominican Republic or are voluntarily leaving so they won’t be killed. What is the United States doing about this?

These black people are people that no one wants. The Dominican and Haitian authorities have no use for them. The mulatto/white upper class in both countries don’t care about them. 

And they are existing in horrible camps on the border right now and are not doing well. Some only speak Spanish which is not the language of Haiti. They just don’t blend in anywhere right now. Come to think of it, they never did. 

Their essential rights to protection and provision of basic services are being denied in these camps. There are many pregnant women and many children. How can we treat them like this?

We can help these people. A multi-pronged approach needs to occur. This is not an unsolvable problem. There are many smart and good people out there who can provide the answers. An intervention needs to occur. We need to interfere…not with free train rides and soccer games but with water, food, shelter, and love.  And they need to leave these horrible camps now.   

John A. Carroll, MD

www.haitianhearts.org