Refreshments being provided to some of the 134 Haitians who have fled to Jamaica over the last few months. (File photo)

The Haitians who fled to Jamaica during the recent unrest that saw the ouster of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide will have a new home by the end of the month.

At Monday's post-Cabinet press briefing, Information Minister Burchell Whiteman said facilities are to be built in St Mary.

There are now 137 Haitians in the island who will qualify for housing under the project which is aimed, Whiteman said, at ensuring that "all of the Haitians who are here might be accommodated in one location".

The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has supplied promised funding to the island and many local companies have indicated a willingness to offer discounted or free services during the construction of the St Mary facilities, the information minister said.

Whiteman could not say exactly where the new facility will be located nor how much it would cost as the price tag is still being calculated. He estimated, however, that it would be "relatively inexpensive".

Approximately $1.6 million was spent during the first week that a group of 20 Haitians arrived in the island. No updated figures have been made available, but since then the state has continued to provide the necessary services in terms of screening, security, health checks and provisions, shelter, translation and food. The church and business communities have been making significant contributions, as well, Whiteman pointed out.

The original plan was to house the Haitians in Montpellier, St James, the same section of the parish where their other fleeing countrymen had been housed during the last flare-up in Haiti. That plan, the information minister said, had not been ruled out, but the St Mary site was being pursued because it was the best option available.

"My understanding is that the place will be not exactly a luxury hotel, but it will have facilities that properly reflect some concerns to provide them with adequate conditions," he explained. "I don't think that we need to fear about a large impersonal kind of facility, but it was felt that it would be better to have them in one area rather than scattered in different locations."

Senator Whiteman said that none of the Haitians has sought asylum in Jamaica and therefore are technically not yet refugees.

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