US Government debates Haitian immigration

The question of whether the United States government should be doing more to allow Haitians fleeing the devastation of the tragic earthquake in that country is igniting debate inside American political circles.

Calls for a relaxation of regulations applied to Haitian nationals who wish to travel to the US have already been made by several Congress members and immigration advocates as the world tries to help the tiny island nation cope with the disaster through humanitarian aid and relief efforts.

To date, only those Haitians who have legally residing relatives inside the United States have been considered with any great urgency, along with children sustaining injuries that if left untreated or exposed to poor conditions in Haiti could result in fatalities.

Janet Napolitano, the Homeland Security Secretary, said that her government would permit those Haitian children who are awaiting US adoption to be processes faster and also that the US would allow a temporary amnesty on illegal Haitian immigrants who reside in the US for the next 18 months.

Civil rights advocates are calling for visa applicants who lodged their claims prior to the earthquake to be allowed entry, as should relatives of permanent legal residents or US citizens. There are currently some 20,000 visa applications pending for a US visa for Haitian nationals. An additional 55,000 Haitians have already been granted visas under the family programme but are being forced to suffer a lengthy waiting list thanks to the US quota system on immigrants, leading opposition leaders to call for a review of the process or imposing temporary reductions on applicants from other countries.