UN human-rights expert says Haiti is unsafe for forced deportations amid gang rule

In a New York interview, UN human-rights expert William O’Neill described Haiti as unsafe for any forced repatriation, noting that armed groups control most of Port-au-Prince and large swaths of the nation, pushing more than 1.5 million people from their homes. He said the country relies on remittances that are now dwindling, and that the United States, Dominican Republic and other states planning deportations are ignoring the catastrophic human-rights environment.

O’Neill highlighted the recent termination of Temporary Protected Status, which protected about 350,000 Haitians in the U.S., and warned that its loss threatens families with detention, separation or return to a devastated island. He added that Haitian children have endured eight years without a full school year, with many gang members under 17, and that displacement camps lack basic services. O’Neill concluded that deportations would violate international law and be morally indefensible.