Immigration Reform Would Benefit Haiti, Says Human Rights Advocate

Brian Concannon with the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti says that immigration advocates are promoting legislation that would give Haitians living in the U.S. temporary protected status. Such status, says Concannon, would make it easier for Haitians who are already living here to find work in the U.S., and to send money home to family members or friends. (:26)
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[Sameera]

only Haitians??

[Adam]

This quake is truly a horrible disaster. Developed countries have the means to give material and logistical aid (medicine, emergency air transport to functional hospital facilities) to victims of the quake. However, opening up our borders is going too far. We have to be 'Yetzer Hara' about this: mass immigration is overstressing our freshwater supplies, destroying farmland and natural areas with urban sprawl, and bringing waves of organized crime (something that has already occured in Canada and the U.S.). The only beneficiaries of opening up immigration are the banks and homebuilders/developers, who want constant real estate bubble-inflating population growth. It's up to Haitians to get their own house in order.

[Pete Murphy]

Rampant population growth threatens our economy and quality of life. Immigration, both legal and illegal, are fueling this growth. I'm not talking about environmental degradation or resource depletion. I'm talking about the effect upon rising unemployment and poverty in America.

I should introduce myself. I am the author of a book titled "Five Short Blasts: A New Economic Theory Exposes The Fatal Flaw in Globalization and Its Consequences for America." To make a long story short, my theory is that, as population density rises beyond some optimum level, per capita consumption of products begins to decline out of the need to conserve space. People who live in crowded conditions simply don’t have enough space to use and store many products. This declining per capita consumption, in the face of rising productivity (per capita output, which always rises), inevitably yields rising unemployment and poverty.

This theory has huge implications for U.S. policy toward population management, especially immigration policy. Our policies of encouraging high rates of immigration are rooted in the belief of economists that population growth is a good thing, fueling economic growth. Through most of human history, the interests of the common good and business (corporations) were both well-served by continuing population growth. For the common good, we needed more workers to man our factories, producing the goods needed for a high standard of living. This population growth translated into sales volume growth for corporations. Both were happy.

But, once an optimum population density is breached, their interests diverge. It is in the best interest of the common good to stabilize the population, avoiding an erosion of our quality of life through high unemployment and poverty. However, it is still in the interest of corporations to fuel population growth because, even though per capita consumption goes into decline, total consumption still increases. We now find ourselves in the position of having corporations and economists influencing public policy in a direction that is not in the best interest of the common good.

The U.N. ranks the U.S. with eight third world countries - India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Uganda, Ethiopia and China - as accounting for fully half of the world’s population growth by 2050. It's absolutely imperative that our population be stabilized, and that's impossible without dramatically reining in immigration, both legal and illegal.

If you’re interested in learning more about this important new economic theory, I invite you to visit my web site at http://PeteMurphy.wordpress.com.

Pete Murphy
Author, "Five Short Blasts"

[miracle marie lourdes]

I am very worried about the situation in my Country. I would like to have many money to built a school for the children who lost their parents. I have to work for that but I am illegal here. It will be a big idea to give this chance to haitian because America can't rebuilt Haiti by hisdelf. Haitians have to take the first part.

But it is not only to give to Haiti we have to put together a work for the Amnesty wich we talk longtime ago. When everyone has the opportunity to visite their Country it is good. I cry I can't have any news from my parents, children neghbors and friends. Even you are citizen but you have a Country of origin where you have been growth. You allways think to your parents. the first love comes from them. They helped you to be what you are now.

You anderstand everyone would like to be in Haiti now to see the problem May be the last times beginun now with Haiti.

It a great challenge for the President to give the Amnesty. Let us work together to see how we can have it without any bad consequences.
safety for America and others Counis important.

Marie Lourdes Miracle

[Wilhem Bernavil]

NOT ENOUGH

By Wilhem S. Bernavil

Other than helping Haiti recover from a 7.0 earthquake that devastated its capital city of (Port-au-Prince) on January 12, 2010. The Obama administration granted Temporary protective Status (TPS) to undocumented Haitians currently residing in the United States. This decision, in the opinion of many experts was long overdue, considering Haiti's past experience from political instability and natural disasters in the last decade. Given the severity of the damage the earthquake incurred, and the added dimension it compiled on an already fragile state, Granting Temporary Protective Status to Haitians is simply not enough!

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), “estimates approximately 200,000 undocumented Haitians currently residing in the U.S. will be eligible for TPS.” One of the central arguments made by activists who helped push for the designation of TPS to Haitian nationals is: Haitians will be able to work and send money to their homeland which will expedite the recovery effort in Haiti in the foreseeable future. What is fundamentally wrong with the above premise is the fact that financial remittance is not as nearly as powerful as human remittance, considering Haiti's unique economic, social, and political challenges. While it is true, if 200,000 Haitians send $1 U.S a day to Haiti, and this potentially pump $200,000 U.S a day into the Haitian economy (That amounts to $6 million U.S a month, or $72 million U.S annually), it would not even begin to scratch the surface of the gigantic challenge Haitians are currently facing as a result of the earthquake. One must not forget that, prior to the earthquake, it was estimated that more than $1 billion U.S dollars of remittance, which is a whopping $1.87 billion U.S was injected into the Haitian economy every year for the past decade. In a period of 10 years, that was approximately $10 billion U.S by all conservative measures. Yet, Haiti has the worst infrastructure, when dealing with its provision of basic services for its citizens in this global economy. Even if the Haitian government had collected 25 percent of that $10 billion U.S dollars from remittances in the form of taxes, which would amount to $2.5 billion U.S for a period of 10 years ($250,000,000 U.S annually), without factoring the administrative cost to collect that fund, such effort would not put a dent on the poverty level Haitians continue to experience!

It is true, sending money back home will alleviate certain basic economic pressures, such as having money to purchase food, pay for school, and other day-to-day economic activities. Unfortunately, at this critical juncture, Haiti's current needs surpass the basic requirements that would keep a nation afloat. Although financial transfer generates continuous economic activities, it accomplishes just that---financial transfer towards basic economic needs in Haiti. Human remittance on the other hand would have a more powerful effect on the Haitian recovery in the coming years. For starters, transfer of knowledge is among the many effective dimensions human remittance brings to the table. Though transfer of knowledge, in the most basic technical definition, is not considered a form of remittance, it brings an invaluable asset to the effort of rebuilding Haiti. According to Carlo Dade, one of the writers in the book titled, Haiti a Fragile State, "...non-financial transfers such as knowledge, skills, new social practices, and business opportunities...also play a significant role in promoting development in countries with high-out migration." Indeed, personal interaction is the most effective way knowledge can be transferred by people of the same national origin. Therefore, undocumented Haitians in the U.S. should be allowed to travel frequently in the near future to help in the recovery of Haiti. Allowing Haitian currently residing in the U.S. to gain permanent status, would automatically trigger financial remittance since Haitians traveling from the United States would have to bring along money to spend on daily activities for the duration of their time helping in Haiti. In other words, that policy will be considered as shooting many birds with one stone; moreover, it will be a win-win situation for all!

One might argue, granting Temporary Protective Status allows qualified Haitian individuals to travel by filing for Advance Parole. Another could further argue that there are more than 500,000 Haitians currently living in the U.S. legally; therefore, there are more than enough Haitians to participate in the recovery effort. The fact of the matter is, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) states: “advance parole cannot be granted for longer than the period a country designates it for.” In addition, “advance parole is within the discretion of the Department of Homeland Security and it is not guaranteed. Any violation of immigration law can affect an individual’s eligibility to reenter the U.S. In some instances, failure to obey the law may permanently hamper an individual’s return. USCIS will not make a determination as to whether an individual may be admissible in advance, even if you apply for advance parole.” Facing the complexity of the above circumstances, Haitians in great numbers will shy away from applying for advance parole. Many will translate it as a loophole to deny them reentry voluntarily once they leave the U.S. Moreover, filing fees for advance parole and the legal fees to determine the risk involved could be directed to the Haitian economy, if Haitians are granted permanent status. As for the argument that 500,000 Haitians are enough to participate in the recovery effort of Haiti: that only proves that Haitians living abroad will effectively partake in the recovery in Haiti. However, it falls short of admitting that 200,000 thousands Haitians, if they become permanent, will have a greater impact in the reconstruction of Haiti.

Finally, emotional healing is one element of this horrible experience that no one seems to be talking about. An undocumented Haitian, who has relatives back home, will suffer a tremendous amount of anxiety, guilt, and helplessness as a result of the earthquake. Whether their love ones survive the earthquake or not, it is all the more appropriate for them to travel without the added fear that there is a possibility of being denied reentry. Granting some form of amnesty channel through the legislative branch of the United States government, no matter how awkward it may seem at this time, is certainly the best thing to do for the Haitian people.