If you are having trouble viewing this message, go here: [link removed]

 

Report from Panama

During the week of March 11, Quixote Center, together with our partners with the Franciscan Network on Migration, organized and led a group of U.S.-based immigration advocates and policy experts to visit the migrant path in Panama, starting with the treacherous Darien Gap. Our Panama colleagues([link removed])released a report ([link removed]) ([link removed]) in response to what we witnessed at the Darien.

Our colleagues note the following concerns:
* Reports of human rights violations on the migratory route through the Darien jungle have increased.
* The business of transporting migrants is profitable.
* The absence of Church presence in the Migratory Reception Stations is very striking especially given the presence of outside NGOs. Spiritual accompaniment would be beneficial.
* We are concerned about the atmosphere of tension and violence that exists in the Migratory Reception Stations. Those who were assaulted in the Darien do not find the way to continue the journey since there is no facility to get the money. Wouldn't it make more sense to evacuate most of the migrants from the Stations free of charge?
* The issue of health in the community is of concern to us. Medical care in the Darien province is limited.
* Another of our concerns is that the spaces to house migrants built by international NGOs are within the community, next to the homes of indigenous people. We are concerned that some migrants come from places with endemic diseases, such as cholera, that could be transmitted to the local population.
* We are concerned about environmental destruction in the Darien from garbage and waste.
Among other solutions, our colleagues propose a regular spiritual accompaniment and presence of teams in the migrant reception centers, to provide support and protection to the migrants and also to enable regular monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation. This will give them the information to work with their government to effect needed change.

With your support, Quixote Center will participate in this accompaniment effort. The planning is happening now, and we will send updates as we have them.

Read the full report here ([link removed]).

 

Take Action for Haiti

Haiti is desperate. According to the UN special envoy to Haiti, criminal gangs control 80% of the capital and are moving further and further into other parts of the country, leaving many people trapped in their homes with little means to feed their families, or forced to flee their homes with nothing. Scarcity of gasoline and water, and high prices of essential products are transforming an already distressed State into ashes.

In the absence of a functioning state, gangs terrorize the population with rape, kidnapping, and murder, all with impunity. Gangs are blocking commerce distribution routes and paralyzing the main port, leaving 1.4 million Haitians on the verge of famine, and more than 4 million in need of food aid, according to the UN's World Food Program. Haiti needs humanitarian aid, and also intellectual contribution toward the establishment of working policies designed to strengthen its political weakness. It is urgent that the United States government take action to save lives in Haiti.

In response to the growing violence, we ask lawmakers to:
* Support S396, the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act, to identify and hold accountable those who are financing the gangs, especially those with assets in the US. A companion House bill has already passed.
* Stop the illegal flow of weapons from the U.S. to Haiti.
* Support HR 6618, the ARMAS Act, in the House, and introduce a companion bill in the Senate. HR 6618 would mandate a comprehensive federal strategy to disrupt arms trafficking, restore Congressional oversight over small arms exports, and prevent legitimate security assistance from being diverted to criminal groups.
* Provide sufficient resources and hold accountable U.S. agencies charged with enforcement, to prevent illegal arms trafficking out of Miami and New York.
* Do not waiver in ending U.S. support for de facto prime minister Ariel Henry. Henry remained in power due to U.S. government support, and widespread opposition to his government has contributed to the current crisis.
* Redesignate and extend TPS for Haitians. The existing TPS designation for Haiti is set to expire on August 4, 2024. Redesignation will allow protection against removal and eligibility for work authorization to all eligible Haitians currently in the United States.
* Stop all deportation flights and interceptions at sea. Despite extreme violence in Haiti, removals continue.
* Immediately increase humanitarian aid, and ensure consultation with impacted populations so that aid is directed toward the long-term sustainable development of the country. Include language that prioritizes Haitian diaspora organizations uniquely equipped to consult with local populations. The mission must prioritize a community development approach.
* Open a channel of communication and consultation on the future of Haiti where all affected groups, including gangs, elite, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and generation Z influencers can share their views on a sustainable socio-political framework.
* Any international police or military intervention should:
* Consult with Haitian civil society before deployment;
* Take measures to ensure human rights protections;
* Provide support and capacity-strengthening to the Haitian National Police;
* Articulate a clear mission to support a Haitian-led solution to restore democracy and ensure elections.

Click Here
to take action ([link removed])

 

Donate ([link removed])

Forward to a Friend:
[link removed]
Unsubscribe:
[link removed]

Email Privacy Policy:
[link removed]

Update Profile:
[link removed]

PO Box 1950 Greenbelt, MD 20770