Prime Minister P J Patterson (second left) convenes a meeting with the ministers of the relevant ministries with lead responsibility for dealing with the Haitian refugees in Jamaica. At left is K D Knight, the minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade; Peter Phillips, the security minister is third left, and at right is A J Nicholson, minister of justice and attorney general.

FIFTY-SIX of the 588 Haitian boat people who fled to Jamaica since the bloody uprising that led to the ouster of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29, are to be repatriated by this weekend, Jamaica House said yesterday.

The Jamaica House statement, issued after a special meeting convened by Prime Minister P J Patterson to examine the Haitian refugee situation in Jamaica, said the 56 had expressed their desire to return home.

At the same time, another 164 of the Haitians who have sought refugee status in Jamaica and have already been interviewed by the Eligibility Committee are now awaiting word on their fate. Those who do not qualify for refugee status will be returned to Haiti by the end of next week, said the Jamaica House statement.

"The processing of a further 220 refugees should be completed within the next two weeks as a second team of interviewers has been assigned to screen persons applying for refugee status. This is being done in accordance with established legal norms and procedures," said the statement.

The prime minister said that every effort should be made to expeditiously process the Haitian refugees in order that those who have expressed a willingness to return to Haiti can do so quickly.

A batch of 47 Haitians arrived here Sunday in two small boats and another 50, including 18 children, yesterday, raising concerns about the likely impact on local resources which were said to be under strain.

Two hundred and seventy-four of the Haitians were staying at the Winnifred Rest Home in Portland, while others are housed at the Montpelier Camp in St James. It was not clear last night where 50 Haitians who arrived in Pagee, St Mary yesterday would be accommodated.

In the meantime, Patterson said that while the relevant ministries and agencies of the government would remain responsible for the health, security and welfare of the Haitians, a lead officer would be appointed to deal with the coordination of all activities relating to the refugees from the time of their arrival to departure from Jamaica.

This, the prime minister said, had become necessary as the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management which has so far led the response to the situation, would now have to turn its attention to preparing the nation for the upcoming hurricane season.

A co-ordinator is expected to be named by the end of the week and will be located in the Ministry of National Security.

The government said it has been working in collaboration with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and the International Migration Organisation to address the humanitarian concerns and the repatriation efforts.

Patterson said yesterday that under international law, while Jamaica has an obligation to receive the refugees, the government remained cognizant of its supreme responsibility to protect the people of Jamaica.

At the same time, the prime minister has instructed that all agencies of the government should ensure appropriate social interface with the communities in Eastern Portland and Montpelier which had been affected, and provide the requisite support in the services which affect the daily lives of our Jamaican citizens.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health said it wanted to assure citizens that public health has not been compromised as a result of the presence of the Haitians. Senior medical officer in the ministry, Dr Marion Bullock-DuCasse, said all Haitians were screened on their arrival and follow-up checks indicated that they were being successfully treated. The health ministry, she added, had also implemented the appropriate vector control programme.

Participating in yesterday's meeting were Dean Peart, minister of land and environment; Peter Phillips, minister of national security; K D Knight, minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, and Senator A J Nicholson, attorney general and minister of justice.

Representatives from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management; the Jamaica Defence Force; Jamaica Constabulary Force; Ministry of Health; and the Ministry of Finance were also in attendance.

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