Phillips
WESTERN BUREAU:
NO HAITIAN refugee will be turned back from Jamaican shores, National Security Minister Dr. Peter Phillips reasserted yesterday amid news that the United States had turned back some 537.
Jamaica's stance is in contrast to that of the U.S., where Haitian refugees, fleeing deadly civil unrest in their homeland, are being denied refuge on the orders of President George Bush. "We certainly don't propose to throw them back into the sea when they present themselves on our shores," said Dr. Phillips yesterday. "We recognise that Haiti is a country that has as much the same history which we have had as a people in the Caribbean."
RESOURCES ARE SCARCE
He admitted that local resources are scarce but Jamaica is willing to share with its Caribbean neighbour.
"We have limited resources [but] we will keep them in the best condition that we can until the situation has been settled. What we are trying to do is to see how we can meet our humanitarian obligation," Dr. Phillips said. However, he noted that he is hoping for a solution to the unrest in Haiti, so that the flow of refugees into the island would diminish.
