Haiti - The return this week of 228 Haitian migrants who survived a deadly sea journey to The Bahamas in late November has once again turned the spotlight on the plight of thousands of migrants who take to the seas each year in search of better lives only to find death, and for the lucky ones who survive, the realization that the tales told to them by migrants smugglers were too good to be true.

“IOM is extremely concerned with the recurring tragedies affecting migrants, many from Haiti, who take to the high seas and risk their lives, but also, the livelihoods of their families, while attempting to reach the United States,  The Bahamas, or the Turks and Caicos in an irregular fashion,” said Gregoire Goodstein, IOM Chief of Mission in Haiti.

With the hurricane season almost over, the number of crossings increase through the month of April.   For the journey from Haiti to The Bahamas, a group of persons may collect some USD 100 to cover the cost of fuel and food and use a small boat belonging to someone in the group.  If they make it to The Bahamas, after risking inclement weather, overcrowded and poorly equipped boats, and sometimes death, they need to pay smugglers between USD 2,000 and 3,000 to reach Miami on a speed boat. They have a 50 per cent chance of being caught.

Historically, most migration movements from Haiti have taken place within the Caribbean due to the proximity, fairly limited border controls and high demand for unskilled labor. Currently the three major Caribbean countries of destination for Haitian migrants, as identified by IOM, are Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.

“Many of these migrants would rather stay in Haiti and provide for their families, but lack of opportunities and structural development problems continue to deny a dignified and economically viable life to thousands of rural, and increasingly urban Haitian families. As there is a transition that re-prioritizes development over humanitarian concerns, it is important for the international community to heed to the Government of Haiti’s call to invest in the sectors identified by its Strategic Development Plan,” added Goodstein.

IOM believes that a well-supported strategic Haitian government plan (Plan Stratégique de Développement d’Haiti) can greatly help in creating job opportunities and thereby help reduce the pressure on irregular migration.  But at the same time, more legal pathways for migration should be made available for migrants.

“Why not explore circular migration schemes such as those being implemented in the EU with third countries?  We need to be innovative in our approach to managing migration in Haiti and in the Caribbean,” says Goodstein.

Since 2009, IOM has developed a strong working relationship with central and local government authorities to increase their capacity to deal with migration issues, but also to provide for the most basic and urgent needs of returning migrants.

Working with the National Migration Office, IOM has provided medical assistance, food and drinks, clothing, onward transportation to their communities of origin, USD 10 in pocket money, and overnight accommodation if necessary to 5,688 migrants who returned to Cap Haitien.

IOM has provided direct reintegration assistance to more than 22,000 persons in four communities in the extremely poor Port de Paix area.  Microfinance projects have included business training;  community infrastructure projects focused on cash for work and food for work, while agricultural projects have distributed livestock and training in their care, seeds and fertilizers, and reconstruction of irrigation canals.

IOM is appealing for USD 4.5 million to carry out a two-year project to build on the support provided to returning migrants, as well as an information campaign to warn potential migrants of the risks of irregular migration, and to continue strengthening the capacity of government officials to address migration concerns.

“These migrants find themselves in desperate straits, yet we must warn them of the perils and economic costs of irregular migration.  The campaign seeks to end the popular myth that irregular migrants will be amongst the lucky ones to be successful in their migration attempts,” said Drazan Rozic, IOM Reintegration and Return Migrant Project Manager.

For more information, please contact

Ilaria Lanzoni
IOM Haiti
Email: ilanzoni@iom.int
Mobile: +509 3702-5066