US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken
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Malene Alleyne, human rights attorney and founder of Freedom Imaginaries
By Kimone Witter/Nakinskie Robinson
US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken is joining regional leaders and senior officials in Jamaica for high level talks surrounding the current security and humanitarian situation in neighbouring Haiti.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 1 o'clock Monday afternoon at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in St. Andrew.
The US State Department says Mr. Blinken will discuss the proposal developed in partnership with CARICOM and Haitian stakeholders to expedite a political transition in Haiti.
This is to be done through the creation of a broad-based, independent presidential college as well as the deployment of a Multinational Security Support Mission to address the ongoing security crisis.
Mr. Blinken will also meet with Prime Minister Andrew Holness to discuss bilateral and regional issues and reaffirm the US's strong and enduring ties with Jamaica.
France, Canada, the United Nations and Brazil have been invited to the meeting.
It's not clear whether Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry will be in Jamaica for the meeting.
A group of US legislators have said Mr. Henry should not return to Haiti, and he should immediately hand over power to a transitional consensus government.
Clear policy needed
Meanwhile, human rights lobby group Freedom Imaginaries says Jamaica must implement modern, transparent and accountable processes to better manage its response to the Haitian crisis in a sustainable manner.
Founder and Attorney Malene Alleyne says in light of the deteriorating situation, there is uncertainty when it comes to the process to repatriate those Haitians whose asylum applications were recently rejected.
She says she is hoping that a clear policy will come out of Monday afternoon's high level meeting.
"I feel like we're in a state of free fall. I don't know where we are right now. There's a lack of legal certainty and clarity, certainly for the 37 Haitian asylum seekers whose claims were rejected. They don't even know what the process going forward will be, how long it will take, who will make the decision, how the decision will be made. And so there's an urgent need for clarity. And I think with CARICOM meeting, now, and with the situation reaching such a critical point of urgency, now is the time to articulate a policy, define it across the region, and ensure its implementation," she suggested.
Attorney Marcus Goffe has said while he understands the concerns of the government regarding resources and managing a possible flood of Haitians, the government's announcement to take in only orphans is not enough and will not provide any real relief to the plight of those in the crisis stricken nation.
Mr. Goffe and Ms. Alleyne were both guests Monday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106 FM.
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