Early in the year I wrote about the strange situation where it cost up to 24 times as much to fly from Haiti to the U.S. and it did to fly the 713 miles from the U.S. to Haiti.
Nobody wanted to go to Haiti! Airlines were flying empty(ish) planes to Haiti in order to fly full planes back. Passengers in Haiti were competing for limited seats to leave.
That’s because Haiti had become largely ungoverned and ungovernable, with gangs engaged in killings, firebombing and kidnapping. I wrote at the time that better routes out of the country, for those wanting to escape to the U.S., would be the regional jets from Port-au-Prince to Santo Domingo or to Providenciales in Turks and Caicos.
- Both countries offered better service to the U.S. (cheaper, too)
- And the ability for Haitians to transit without a visa
The trick, though, was getting permission to enter the U.S. legally! Well, it turns out that enterprising travel agents figured that one out, too.
- Charter flights to Nicaragua had grown up to 15 trips a day. Nicaragua has welcomed Haitians without a visa. (Nicaragua may be making money off of the trips, and is assisting migrants “to pressure the U.S. to lift sanctions”
- From there, passengers would travel to Honduras, Mexico, and on to the U.S. illegally
- Charters also flew to the Dominican Republic and Turks and Caicos, at up to $4,000 per seat
Now Haiti has shut down the charter trips.
The Haitian government suspended all flights to Nicaragua on Monday amid rising concerns about a massive migration wave that has led to tens of thousands of Haitians using the Central American country as a springboard to the United States… [On Monday there were] more than 1,000 passengers waiting in an overflowing parking lot across from the departure terminal of the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Haiti waiting to be called to board flights.
Haiti’s problems are often blamed on French colonialism and reparations taken by France after the country’s independence. But those were expunged in 1947. What’s striking is the economic divergence of Haiti and the Dominican Republic starting in the 1960s. The two countries started the period with a similar standard of living. The D.R.’s has grown eight-fold, while Haiti’s has not improved in 70 years. That’s suggestive, at least, that Haiti’s problems are home-grown including massive corruption. Disney used to manufacture there! It was largely replaced by the drug trade.
(HT: Enilria)
I wish the US would just open the borders up to Haitians that want to leave Haiti. We need the people. Sadly, Haiti really seems cursed.
Supporting the murderous Papa Doc for decades because he was “Anti-Communist” certainly didn’t help this place either. But Haiti has always had serious issues; before things went to pot I took the bus over from the D.R. and saw La Citadelle, the immense, really amazing and utterly useless fortress built in 1805 close to Cap-Haitien. What a waste of resources was put into that! And sadly because of constant instability the nearby cruise ship port at Labadee could never be used for excursions to there. When I crossed the border the life expectancy dropped 10 years!
Glad I saw it, glad I got out. But on the other hand another time on a ship going to the ABC islands we passed the desolate and deforested west coast of the country. Men in tiny boats were trying to get a few fish. A crew member said at night they burned newspapers in the hope of not being run down. I turned from this scene of poverty to see my fellow passengers obliviously stuffing down bad pizzas. And there you have the modern world.
The Dominican Republic closed its border with Haiti in September. Currently it is reopened partially but only to allow food and similar products to export to Haiti. Haitians are forbidden from entering the DR. This all stems from Haiti building a canal to pull water from the Dajabon River which is the national border on the northern end of the island. The DR says this will have massive environmental consequences downstream.
Sadly the drug trade is not home grown. The usa support for dictators like Papa Doc also contributed.
All the drugs are passing through to the usa with its failed drug war. Some reflection in your own countries actions may be in order
The haitians are relatvely normal and intelligent people just like the Dominicans but they meed better responsible govermments . Overseas, most haitians are doing well in all field, therefore if they were able to be helped and encouraged in their own country, they would be able to do great things. Haiti needs a complete rebirth from a to z that should eradicate corruption and other evil
matters whose are preventing it from getting ahead. since it was created almost 220 years ago from the only successful slave revolution in modern time.
Haiti needs intelligent
leaders who can rebuild its system..Probably a good revolution can do it.
Some people are wishing to have papa doc in Haiti …and you don’t why, and you don’t know what happened to Haiti after Duvalier, and you don’t know exactly how life was at his time, sad to say it; but the of Duvalier was the best moment for some of us…comparing to what’s going on.
Haitian politicians are corrupt. Haiti needs women diasporas to take over the country. Over 200 years men have not been able to stop stealing the wealth of the country due to their greeds, incompetence. These guys are too old and corrupt. Until they get ride of them haiti will remain the poorest country in a shit hole country haiti needs a clean slate. Get ride of all people who are in charge now, prime Minister, Ambassadors, judges, Senators, mayor’s, police officers, Consulates, all of them in Government are thieves, incompetent. We need leaders women who put country first not their wallets.
Good morning! The solution for my country i love so much is this,every member of the government should have their family with in Haiti,some who work in public service and many more should have their family with them in Haiti.I praise the international community to help us in that situation,to start send their family Haiti to stabilize the country,because at this moment our leaders don’t have any interest in the country simply because their families not with them in this kind situation…please by the grace of God help us.thank you
Right 747, so long as the demand exists so will the supply. The same is true of killing those marked as “terrorists” or any other brute force approach to complex and widespread social problems with long histories. Changes are possible but they don’t happen over night. Anyway, Nixon knew his drug “war” was a joke. His aide John Ehrlichman later admitted that it was simply a way of controlling both young anti-war and Black protestors. Of course it took on a life of its own, with endless damage to America and the world.
“Nicaragua may be making money off of the trips”
No may be about it: $200 pp paid to the Whoretega regime upon landing. Another $100 pp for bus transport to the border on an F$LN chicken bus. AND Whoretega and his evil bride La Chamuca also get a cut from each flight. Remember Danny boy learned at the feet of his God, Fidel.
Viva la robolucion!
Of course we have no the united state of America government know what’s going on but they closed their eyes and stopped every Haitian going anywhere, it’s a sad thing for the country I love, still they kept every single person who involved stealing from our country leave their family in the USA and around the world, but they know the problem just doesn’t care.we looks towards God speed
It’s sad that Haiti,has come to that. Paying $4000 (US) is beyond exploited. The people don’t know better. They need to get rid of a Defacto Government, and start fresh. Have a Two Party, get rid of the Prime Minister position and convert it to a Vice President instead. It’s time for a 2nd revolution.