Angry scenes at Haiti airport as deported migrants arrive

By: Ryan Oswald, Staff reporter, The Pawprint

On Tuesday (September 21), returned Haitian migrants were seen chasing after the plane that brought them back to Port-au-Prince. Some reports even say they saw individuals throwing shoes at the plane. Video footage shows people scrambling to grab their luggage and belongings from the plane, after being carelessly dumped on the runway. Some witnesses say that a pilot aboard a flight was assaulted and three US immigration officers were also injured.

Over the last few weeks 13,000 migrants have been gathering under a bridge connecting Texas and Mexico. Many Haitians were attempting to flee the country because of its current harsh conditions, with fleeing starting as early as 2010 after a devastating earthquake.

Migrants are staying in makeshift camps in high temperatures with little water or food and no proper sanitation.

The majority of migrants are Haitians, but there are also Cubans, Peruvians, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans. New rules mean that migrants have to be processed at immigation offices to have their applications reviewed and cannot appeal to the courts.   This makes it easier to deport them.

Many are being taken into custody by officials at the border and are flown to Haiti. By Thursday (September 23)  it’s expected that there will be some 7 flights back to Haiti per day.