HAITI-MIGRATION-UN refugee agency says Haitians interdicted at sea not screened for asylum

UNITED NATIONS, CMC - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says the United States and other countries have failed to properly screen Haitian migrants interdicted at sea to ascertain whether they have “a credible fear” of violence and persecution. “People should be screened for credible fear, rather than having the burden of having to shout their way to be noticed,” said Leslie Velez, UNHCR’s senior protection officer. “We want a uniform process for all nationalities.” So far this year, Velez said most of the more than 180 Haitians found in the Caribbean Sea have been repatriated to their earthquake-ravaged French-speaking Caribbean homeland.