Brazil seeks help to curb immigration of Haitians
BRAZIL has asked six South American and Caribbean nations to help it combat human trafficking rings said to be responsible for the influx of Haitian immigrants into Latin America’s biggest country.
The request was made during a meeting between Brazilian foreign ministry officials and representatives from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, Peru and the Dominican Republic.
A statement released Wednesday night at the end of the meeting says the countries agreed to work closely together to “monitor the routes used by the traffickers and identify their leaders”.
Last month the northern state of Acre declared a state of emergency because of the costs involved in helping more than 4,000 Haitians who have entered the state since the 2010 earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince.
Human trafficking victims cannot be deported under Brazilian law.
— AP
