Haitians in Peru: the traffic routes they use and their current situation in the country PERU

The earthquake that punished Haiti last Saturday hit the impoverished Caribbean country even more, which was already grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of gang violence and a severe political crisis following the assassination of the President Jovenel Moise on July 7 this year. All this situation, added to the precarious conditions facing the Central American nation, has pushed many Haitians to travel to other Latin American destinations. One of them, Peru.

Due to the relative economic growth of Peru before the pandemic, citizens of different countries have come to settle down and engage in various activities. This situation differs from that in which people arrive but in the form of traffic, and then continue their journey to a third destination. This is the case of Haitians.

The forgotten peoples of Haiti to whom humanitarian aid does not reach

They are basically three types of situations in which Peru constitutes a zone of transit for the migrants. The first are those who come from poor countries like Haiti and some African countries whose final destination is Brazil. The second, those that result from the various ongoing integration processes are temporarily settled in the country. Some also have another country as their final destination. Finally, those who use Peru as a platform to then continue their journey to a third country, as is the case with some Middle Eastern citizens.

Routes of the Haitian exodus

In the case of Haitian citizens, their systematic migration began after the earthquake in January 2010, where thousands were left homeless, without employment, or any system of protection by the Haitian state itself or the state. international cooperation.

Haitian migration occurred mainly to Brazil. The Brazilian government’s decision to grant visas was the spark that ignited the trip. The route that Haitians use includes Ecuador and Peru. Since 2010, two routes have been used in our country for this migration. By the north they go until Tabatinga, happening through Iquitos; and by the south until Acre happening Lima, Cusco and Our Lady. As noted in both cases, citizens use Peru as an important transit route. A third route of Haitian migrants in transit is the one that goes south in the direction of Chile.

The painful and dangerous situation in which Haitians travel is well known. these routes In many cases, these citizens have been swindled by the pins or “coyotes” throughout their passage by Peru. This situation was aggravated by the requirement of the authorities to apply for a visa for Haitians since January 2012, as it results in the presence of people, hotels, travel agencies, transport agencies, etc. A whole network of human trafficking.

Ombudsman: “It is impossible for migrants to use Peru as a transit route to Ecuador”

Stranded in Integration Bridge

In 2011, a humanitarian crisis settled in the Integration Bridge of the border of Iñapari (Peru-Brazil), in Our Lady. In this place, the priest René Salízar, of the parish of Iñapari, lodged to 380 Haitians for more than a month. The situation was in itself very complicated by the lack of supply.

Then, in 2012, the Brazilian government opened up the possibility for them Haitians obtain visas. Migrants had one main reason to enter Brazil: the hope of finding work during the preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

A decade after the exodus Haitian, The humanitarian crisis returned to the border area between Peru and Brazil, in Our Lady. The ravages of the pandemic generated an economic crisis and unemployment, so migrants were seen in need of returning to their home country.

In February of this year, the Integration Bridge was again the scene of a mass meeting. Hundreds of foreigners, mostly Haitians from Assisi (Brazil), reached the bridge and were stranded for several days. They sought to use Peru as a corridor to move to Ecuador and thus return to Haiti. The number of people exceeded 500.

current panorama

In dialogue with the Trade, The Deputy for Human Rights of the Ombudsman, Percy Castell, has indicated that contrary to what happened 10 years ago with the arrival of Haitian citizens in Peru and then go to Brazil or Chile, there has been a wave of migrants for a few weeks now trying to return enter our country but this time to go to the United States.

“The reverse phenomenon is now occurring. They are coming from Brazil to go through Our Lady and try to get out of the northern border. His goal is to reach North America. In addition, we have detected for two weeks the same situation also from the south of the country, in Tacna. There is a massive influx of Haitians irregularly across the border with Chile and Bolivia. Then they embark to Tombis for the same purpose, to reach the United States“, He pointed out.

Our Lady: Who are the foreigners trying to enter the country by the border with Brazil?

Castillo explained that the conditions in which Haitian citizens travel are absolutely distressing, as these are families who travel practically only with what they take place, with the few savings they have been able to achieve in the place where they were before.

“This demonstrates the porosity of the boundaries. What remains for the Peruvian authority is to establish channels of dialogue with their hemispheric partners to make a decision on these migrants who travel throughout Latin America and create ways for their transfer to be safe and not be the object of criminal trafficking networks. legal status of migrants or trafficking“, He commented.

He also stressed that it is the duty of states, including Peru, to provide humanitarian assistance, protection, to migrants who require it. In the place where they are. “We, as Defensoria, have been demanding this dialogue, the formation of a policy that addresses this reality and supervises that the entities fulfill the role that belongs to them.“, Pointed out Castell.

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