Freedom Imaginaries to appeal rejection of asylum to 37 Haitians

By Prince Moore   

 

Human rights group Freedom Imaginaries says it will be appealing the government's decision not to grant asylum status to the 37 Haitian refugees who arrived by boat in July last year.

 

The government has rejected the asylum applications of the migrants.

 

The Haitians were handed the rejection letters around 9 o'clock Tuesday night.

 

Attorney Malene Alleyne, founder of Freedom Imaginaries, said there is a right of an appeal to the Minister of National Security within seven working days. 

 

"Yes, we will go forward with the appeals because this is a matter of extreme importance. The UN has made it clear that the situation in Haiti is not conducive to forced returns and has called upon states to suspend the forced return of Haitians to Haiti. And so this process, before exhausting all remedies, is extremely important, not just for the issue of Haitian refugees, but for the rule of law in general," she reasoned. 

 

Ms. Alleyne is concerned that the government decided to reject the asylum applications of the Haitians despite the deepening crisis in Haiti.

 

She also questioned whether due process was followed considering she was not allowed to present submissions on behalf of the migrants, neither were the applicants heard by the committee convened to consider their asylum applications.

 

"We have serious concerns about the integrity of this decision because we believe the process has been undermined by serious due process issues, including basic due process guarantees like the right to be heard, the right to be represented by an attorney, and so on," she said.