No Time for Moral Complacency--March 10, 2022
The world is focused on Putin’s war of choice in Ukraine. And it should be.
War crimes are occurring. A Ukrainian maternity hospital was recently destroyed and civilian neighborhoods are bombed. Two million refugees have fled the country at this point..with many more to follow.
The New York Times—
Ukraine Presents a Moral Crisis, Not Just a Military One
Feb. 28, 2022—
Guest Essay by David Miliband—
With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the military balance of power in Europe is up for grabs. The moral balance is also at stake. The West needs to show that it can live up to its values — as well as defend itself.
Vladimir Putin’s willingness to challenge international norms means Ukraine’s 44 million citizens are living in fear for their lives and their futures. All possible outcomes involve sacrifice and suffering on a huge scale.
As I read this article I was thinking that Haitians have been living in fear for their lives and their futures for years. And for the past couple of years, tens of thousands of people are internally displaced in Haiti—unable to live in their homes due to warring gangs.
For decades Haitians have fled their borders, too. And just several days ago Haitians were floating up on Florida’s shores after their unseaworthy boat, captained by smugglers, capsized.
According to Aljazeera—
7 Mar 2022
A wooden boat carrying hundreds of Haitian migrants capsized in shallow water off the coast of the US state of Florida, officials said, and many needed medical attention.
The United States Coast Guard and other agencies rushed on Sunday to help the group of migrants, which included women and children. Border Patrol officials said human smuggling is suspected and an investigation is ongoing.
Approximately 300 migrants were aboard the boat, Border Protection Chief Patrol Agent Walter N Slosar said, and 163 people swam to the shore. Many of the migrants, he said, were in need of medical attention. Coast guard images showed the boat tilted on its side and a large group of Haitians draped in towels on the shore.
But the US continues to expel the majority of migrants – including Haitians – under a coronavirus pandemic rule that allows border officials to quickly turn back migrants to their country of origin, or to Mexico, without processing their asylum claims.
In September last year, some 15,000 Haitian migrants gathered in south Texas hoping to claim asylum. But US authorities cleared out the makeshift camp and sent the vast majority back to Haiti aboard deportation flights.
Miliband continues—
First, Ukrainians fleeing for their lives need sanctuary, security and stability. The E.U.’s executive arm will ask member nations to grant Ukrainians temporary asylum, for up to three years. Britain is granting visa concessions only for British nationals’ close relatives in Ukraine. That’s not good enough.
All Western nations, not just those in the E.U., should open their borders to Ukrainians and ensure that they find safety and stability after escaping the chaos of war. That means fully-fledged refugee status, with the rights to work and receive state services.
Just think if we read the same about Haitians who are fleeing Haiti. Just think if we read that Haitians should be accepted by other nations as they run from violence, starvation, lack of medical care, lack of education, lack of jobs, and very bleak futures.
The world is facing a moral crisis in Ukraine. But there is a long-standing moral crisis in Haiti that needs to be acknowledged and responded to accordingly.
John A. Carroll, MD
www.haitianhearts.org
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