INTL 190 - Haiti in a Transnational Context

Treatment of Haiti Migrants in Chile

There are a lot of stories shared by the Haitian nationals in Chile which are similar to that of Pierre and Louis. These narratives portray the experiences of Haitian and Chilean relations. The experiences depict deteriorating ties between Chile and Haiti based on how the Haitians are treated in Chile, which is located in the South American region. Therefore, the discrimination in the Americas was worse in the southern part, where the Black people were exploited, and some of them enslaved due to their color. Racism is an issue that prevails in several nations of the world, especially against black people. Many Haitian immigrants have faced the threat of deportation since 2010, with the threats made real owing to the current immigration policies that require all Haitian residents to seek their visas from Port-au prince. The restrictive immigration policy of Chile required all the Haitian residents in Chile to produce the required application documents, especially their criminal records. Although this is a standard procedure in most nations which is crucial in issuing visas, the process proved to be costly and lengthy for the Haitians in Chile and other international countries. The change of the policies forced many Haitians who could not make it to the US to return home. On the other hand, some, especially the young people, chose to try their luck entering their US.  
Sociologist Maria Emilia indicates that racism and discrimination of the Black people is not something new in many parts of the Americas (Milesi). In the initial years of Chile as a country, immigrants from Europe were sought to populate the country, which had a few people at the time. Many immigrants from Europe who arrived in Chile primarily comprised older adults who needed a place to relax and have a good life, which was different from the Haitian nationals who were young and energetic with the potential of positively contributing to economic growth. The Haitians, however, were discriminated against both legally and culturally as a result of their race and origin.
The racism and discrimination persisted and were more pronounced by the presidential decree of 2018 that introduced the use of differentiated visas based on nationality. Although the Venezuelans and the Haitians account for many immigrants in Chile, the Venezuelans received special treatment by the Chilean government by creating new visas for them. On the other hand, the Haitian immigrants were required to process their tickets which needed to be approved from Port-au-Prince in Haiti before they were allowed to board a flight to Chile (Bartlett). Also, in these decrees, the Chilean government prohibited all the recipients of Port-au-Prince in Haiti who received their visas from taking any work opportunity or occupation in Chile. This aspect made life more difficult for the Haitians, which meant that the Haitians, majority of whom left their countries searching for better work and life opportunities, were only welcomed in the country as tourists and within a brief period. Other than the differentiated visa, the government of Chile introduced and promoted the repatriation of flights. This resulted in over 800 Haitians being deported back to Haiti and given a nine-year suspension of traveling to Chile. President Pinera insinuates the introduction of strict policies that target Haitian immigrants to curb the influx of immigrants into the country. Pinera attributes the increased immigrant population to the increased cases of criminal activities in the country, among other social evils.
The immigrant population has since 2014 been on a constant increase. The official statistics indicate over one million Haitians in a country of 17.7 million Chileans (Trovall). Despite the Haitians being among the top five largest communities in Chile, racial discrimination in all government and community sectors is worse for the Haitians because they are black. The tourist visas that the Haitians initially used in crossing to Chile then obtaining employment visas that allowed them to bring their families were canceled. The maximum duration to remain in the country on a tourist visa was reduced to 30 days and only extended to 90 days. Compared to the Venezuelans, they were offered a one-year democratic visa to stay in Chile for one year.

 

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