12 Haitian caregivers deported

The saga of the Haitian 'caregivers' took a turn Tuesday night when immigration authorities deported 12 of the 16 individuals who came to Jamaica to assist with the care of 59 orphans rescued from the French-speaking country in March.

Mustard Seed Communities (MSC) this morning confirmed that the police ushered the 12 Haitians from Jacob's Ladder, the St Ann based facility of MSC, about  6:30 p.m. yesterday and they were sent back to their country last night.

MSC's Chief Executive Officer Father Garvin Augustine told The Gleaner that MSC asked authorities to allow two Haitians to stay.

“We asked the authorities to keep two of them. They have been working and cooperating with us and they have actually helped with the children.

"So we will be applying for permits on their behalf. So, the situation is, 12 were sent home, we kept two, and two are still missing, along with the hydrocephalic child,” he told The Gleaner.

The boy was taken to the Bustamante Hospital for Children where he had surgery recently and was released to the custody of Christo Romain, one of the now deported caregivers. He remains missing.

The 12 caregivers were among a total of 16 who came to Jamaica as staffers of HaitiChildren, the orphanage where they lived in Haiti. 

The group came to Jamaica in March after the Haitian operation of the orphanage was being impacted by violence in the country. Jamaica was asked to assist in housing and caring for them.

The 90-day permission granted for them to stay in Jamaica expired last Wednesday.

With no extension of their time, they were all in the island illegally. Father Garvin also used the opportunity to set the record straight about the numbers who went missing and those who returned.

According to him, of the 10 who went missing for almost 13 days, only eight returned, last weekend.

The Gleaner was told last week that the Child Protection and Family Service Agency (CPFSA), Immigration, and National Security Ministry are part of the search for the child, for whom MSC has custody.

To date, CPFSA has not responded to a question sent to it last Saturday, nor has the national security ministry.

Father Garvin explained that the missing Haitians returned to the Jacob's Ladder property they left 13 days prior.

He said they emerged from a vehicle at the gates of the property. Hours later immigration officials from St Ann visited, and spoke with them.

MSC officials were instructed “not to question them on their absence,” to which they complied.

On their return, none of “caregivers” voluntarily explained their absence. The MSC CEO said the returned Haitians appeared “more cooperative”. However, during their stay, they were described as being disruptive, and not assisting in the care of the orphans.

Some, according to Father Garvin expressed a desire not to be associated with HaitiChildren anymore.

Last week MSC was forced to dismiss allegations of mistreatment and denial of access to health care of the Haitian orphans.

MSC has sole responsibility for the orphans as per the arrangements which brought them here, and the adults “were allowed in as part of the caregiving regime.”

Father Garvin also took the opportunity to dismiss suggestions that the Haitians were not missing, but were on “week-off rotation,” a claim made by one of the spokespersons for HaitiChildren.

In a radio interview last Thursday, Sheryl Ritchie denied that they were missing and said, instead, that they were on rotation. MSC operators dismissed the position arguing that there was no “week-on, week-off rotation in operation at Jacob's Ladder” as individuals worked on shifts.

Immigration authorities have also twice denied HaitiChildren founder Susan Krabacher access to Jamaica, in the last month. The Gleaner is unable to ascertain the reason for the denial.

- Erica Virtue

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