The United States has started flying Haitian migrants out of the country from Sunday. The development comes after the Biden administration along with the Department of Homeland Security announced plans to deport such migrants who crossed the borders illegally and were camping in Del Rio, Texas.
The first batch of Haitian migrants taken to Port-au-Prince included 320 people, and it was a total of three flights. By Tuesday, the number of flights is expected to double and so will the number of migrants taken back to their country. On Wednesday, the United States plans to have seven expulsion flights daily and will take the migrants to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien. The flights depart from San Antonio, but authorities may add El Paso as another area where the planes will leave.
More than 12,000 migrants have been camping in Del Rio, Texas, after they crossed Ciudad Acuña, Mexico. It is unclear how many flights will the U.S. government make to clear the area of the migrants as there are more people still crossing illegally despite the announcement regarding mass deportation. The border was closed Sunday, but migrants found another way to cross to get to the Del Rio, Texas camp. It is unclear if the illegal migrants can still access such a way.
Some Haitian migrants are also camping in Mexico. Officials in Mexico said Sunday that they would likewise begin deporting Haitians to their homeland.
Haitians began arriving in the United States after a 2010 earthquake. Many more hoped to have a better life after jobs decreased after the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Now, more Haitians wanted to get into the United States after another devastating earthquake in Haiti and the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Many of them believe that their country is more unstable than when they left.
Also Read: Biden Administration Will Deport Many Haitian Migrants In Del Rio, Texas
