THE Jamaican Government is being warned to move cautiously as it prepares to accept several orphans from crisis-hit Haiti.

Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang last week told Parliament’s Standing Finance Committee that Jamaica has committed to accept a number of orphans in need of protection in sections of Haiti overrun by gangsters.

“At this point we have agreed to take a number of people legitimately, namely the orphans. There is an orphanage that was isolated and challenged and the Mustard Seed Communities is taking them. The logistics of that is being worked out,” said Chang.

But United States-based Haitian politician Himler Francois on Monday told the Jamaica Observer that while he understands the reason for the decision by the Jamaican Government, there are several problems the island could face if it decides to take in the orphans.

“Here’s one thing with the orphans, they have no one to help, however is there a system in place [in Jamaica] to receive these orphans? Because we also have to understand, while Jamaica opens its borders to the orphans, Jamaica has to make sure that the country has a system in place to prevent child trafficking,” Francois told the Observer on the margins of a high-level meeting in Kingston which was called by the Caribbean Community (Caricom) to discuss the crisis in Haiti.

Francois pointed out that just last week the Haitian central adoption authority, L’Institut du Bien-Etre Social et de Recherches (IBESR), was vandalised by gangsters.

“So I would caution the Government of Jamaica so that later on [people] don’t say that Jamaica had 100,000 children from Haiti but nobody knows where they are,” added Francois as he questioned what systems Jamaica will have in place to welcome the orphans and how the Jamaican Government will know who are legitimate orphans.

“Just because someone shows up to the border and say they’re orphan, what proof, what legal status exists for that purpose?” said Francois who described himself as the president and founder of a new political party in Haiti, the Pati Pitit Ayiti.

Francois was not allowed to join the regional heads of government, and their international partners, in their extensive discussions at Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, a decision which he claimed was unfair.

“I came here because I heard there’s a meeting taking place, but while the meeting is taking place Haiti has no representation, and decisions are being made on behalf of Haiti. How can decisions be made on behalf of the country yet there is no representation? I would at least imagine the invitation of the Haitian ambassador in Washington [would have been necessary].

“I understand the [Haitian] Prime Minister [Dr Ariel Henry], for whatever reason, is not travelling but what happened to the ambassador who is currently in Washington?” asked Francois as he charged that the regional heads of government and their international partners were making a mistake in not listening to more voices from the country.

However, regional leaders and their partners have repeatedly indicated that they are indeed listening to the voices of Haitians and are proposing solutions to the crisis, based on what the people of the country want.

During Monday’s meeting several Haitian stakeholders participated virtually, but Francois expressed concerns that some important voices are not being heard.

“Well, they are in communication by telephone, that’s perfectly fine, however, who are those leaders? How can you resolve a problem with the same people that have actually made it get to where it is now?” he asked.

“They must accept the fact that they are not communicating with the upcoming leaders,” argued Francois.