AMERICA/HAITI - Biden administration grants Haitian immigrants the Temporary Protected Status

Tuesday, 25 May 2021 development   poverty   migrants   politics  

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Washington (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic Church in the United States welcomes the announcement by the Biden administration that it has included immigrant citizens from Haiti under the protection of the "Temporary Protected Status" (TPS). The TPS is a provision that allows foreign nationals of certain designated nations to stay and work in the United States during a time when it is deemed dangerous for them to return to their home country. The measure applies for a period of eighteen months and may be renewed by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Mgr Mario E. Dorsonville, Auxiliary Bishop of Washington and President of the Migration Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Mgr David J. Malloy of Rockford, president of the Justice and Peace Committee of the United States USCCB, expressing satisfaction with the measure adopted, declare in a note sent to Fides: "We are grateful for this decision to redesignate Haiti for TPS, which acknowledges the serious challenges facing the island nation, including widespread violence, civil unrest, political instability, and food insecurity. Haiti is widely recognized as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The Church in Haiti has been directly impacted by the unprecedented levels of gang activity—with targeted kidnappings of clergy, religious, and lay persons in recent months—adding to the need for an urgent response. We stand with our brother bishops in condemning the lawlessness, and we join them in their solidarity with victims.
We urge the Haitian government and President Moïse to act in the best interests of the Haitian people by respecting and upholding their rights and dignity", the statement continues: "We also call on the Biden Administration to address the desperate conditions plaguing the country through diplomatic and humanitarian measures. This weekend, the Catholic Church celebrated the feast of Pentecost, where we were reminded of our unity through the Holy Spirit—a unity that transcends nations. Let us pray for peace in Haiti. May Our Lady of Perpetual Succor, patroness of Haiti, be a source of comfort and strength for all Haitians". (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 25/05/2021)


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