Will the US government use the Guantanamo detention camp to process the Haitian migrants?

As the chaos in Haiti continues, the Biden Administration is considering implementing strict measures to prevent the arrival of migrants from the gang-controlled island. Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, is 80% controlled by gangs, which has forced thousands of residents to leave their homes and leave the country. At the moment, more than 300,000 Haitians have been displaced by the wave of gang violence.

Given this possibility, General Laura Richardson revealed that the suggestion has been made to use the Guantanamo prison in Cuba to host Haitian migrants and repatriate them to their country of origin or, failing that, to a third nation, with the aim of avoiding alterations in the social order and government structures.

Guantanamo Bay has a complex history as a migrant processing center, with periods of use and closure reflecting political and social issues in the Caribbean and the United States. It was used to ‘process’ Haitians fleeing the country in the 1990s, where the majority of applications were denied and they were sent back.

“I think we have to be prepared for that. And I have requested greater ability to do exactly that. And we are prepared if a mass migration occurs, if we have to deal with a mass migration. Last summer we carried out a complete review of our contingency plan in Guantánamo with all the interagency agencies and all my elements”, explained Richardson, commander of the United States Southern Command.

For its part, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (NHS) revealed to CNN that the chances of this happening are low. However, he noted that the DHS is closely monitoring the situation, in conjunction with the State Department and international partners, and added that the country is ready to repatriate immediately to migrants trying to enter the USA.

“Persons intercepted at sea are subject to immediate repatriation in accordance with our long-standing policy and procedures. The United States returns or repatriates migrants intercepted at sea to the Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti”, he explained.

People fleeing persecution have a right to seek asylum under the 1951 Refugee Convention. However, the US turns these applications around before their asylum case can be heard.

What is Guantanamo prison?

The Guantánamo prison is a high-security military detention center, located at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base, in Cuba. This place is characterized by protecting terrorist suspects. However, it has already been used in the past as a shelter for Haitians who were victims of the earthquake in 2010, so its adaptation as a shelter for migrants would not be a problem for the US government.